P53: The Effect of Cognitive Rehabilitation Program on Hope Status in the Elderly

Along with increasing age of people, mental health problems have become an important concern worldwide. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of cognitive rehabilitation program on hope of the elderly. In this field trial, 70 retired elderly people were recruited via convenience sampling method and randomly allocated into intervention and control groups (n=35 per group). The intervention group participated in 12 one-hour sessions of cognitive rehabilitation program, whereas the control group received no intervention. Data were collected using a demographics form and Snyder et al.&rsquo;s Hope Scale (1991). It was analyzed by SPSS software using paired t-test and independent t-test at a significant level p <0.05. The mean age of subjects in the intervention and control groups was 61.03 &plusmn; 3.81 and 61.02 &plusmn; 2.37, respectively. There was no significant difference between the two groups (p = 0.98, t = 0.001). The post-intervention mean score of hope was significantly higher than the pre-intervention stage (p <0.001), but there was no difference in the control group (p = 0.84). The mean score of hope after intervention was significantly greater in the intervention group than in the control group (p <0.001) while the score before intervention was similar in the two groups (p = 0.09). The cognitive rehabilitation program, including attentive and memory exercises, was effective in those who had somewhat lower hopes. Cognitive rehabilitation program can be a useful instrument for healthcare specialists to improve hope status in the elderly.