The Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Compassion-Therapy on Sleep Quality and Satisfaction with Life in Elderly Women

Introduction: The aging process is an important phenomenon in global health. In fact, the psychological and physical well-being of elderly women must be taken into consideration. This study was conducted in order to determine the effect of Mindfulness-Based Compassion-Therapy (MBCT) on sleep quality and satisfaction with life in elderly women. Method: This study was a quasi-experimental investigation with a pre-test, post-test, and follow-up along with a control group. For this purpose, ۱۵ elderly women were randomly assigned to the intervention or the control group. The intervention group received mindfulness-based compassion- therapy over eight weeks, one session per week, while the control group did not receive any intervention. Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI; ۱۹۸۹) and Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS; ۱۹۸۵) were completed by elderly women to evaluate the research variables during the intervention’s pre-test, post-test, and follow-up periods. Descriptive statistics, Levene’s test, Box’s M Test, Bonferroni, and repeated measures ANOVA using SPSS-۲۲ were used for data analysis. In the control group, no therapy was applied. After the intervention, both groups were tested. Results: Findings showed that the intervention group’s mean sleep quality and satisfaction with life improved after mindfulness training. In addition, the study revealed that the mean sleep quality and satisfaction with life levels between the intervention and control groups were significantly different (p<۰.۰۱). Conclusion: According to the results of the present study, mindfulness-based compassion- therapy improved sleep quality and satisfaction with the life of elderly women. This intervention represents new horizons in psychological interventions and can improve the mental health and well-being of elderly women.