Effects of Positive Psychology on Hope, Gratitude, and Well-Being

According to United Nations population estimates, the proportion of older adults worldwide was 10.2% in 2024. Türkiye also has an aging population, with older adults accounting for approximately 10.2% of the total population. The growing proportion of older adults highlights the increasing importance of developing interventions that support their psychological well-being and quality of life.

Aging is a multidimensional process involving physical, cognitive, social, economic, and psychological changes. It may lead individuals to reflect on the later stages of life and the meaning of their experiences. However, aging is experienced differently by each individual, and its meaning depends largely on personal perceptions and attitudes. Older adults are often associated with dependency, social isolation, loneliness, unhappiness, and reduced social relationships. Such perceptions may overshadow their needs for affection, social support, respect, and meaningful engagement.

Changes in traditional family structures and the increasing demands of urban life have contributed to the growing use of institutional care services for older adults. Although nursing homes may be chosen voluntarily or because of necessity, negative perceptions, concerns about institutional care, and difficulties adapting to a new living environment may adversely affect older adults' psychological well-being. Some nursing home residents experience boredom, social exclusion, feelings of worthlessness, longing for family life, and low morale and life satisfaction. These findings suggest that psychosocial interventions aimed at strengthening positive psychological resources may be beneficial for older adults living in nursing homes.

Positive psychology focuses on positive emotions, satisfaction, happiness, engagement, relationships, and meaning in life. It emphasizes the identification and development of individual strengths and psychological resources rather than focusing exclusively on psychological distress. Seligman's PERMA model conceptualizes well-being through five components: positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment. Positive emotions may broaden awareness and facilitate coping with stress; engagement involves using personal strengths in meaningful activities; positive relationships promote connectedness, support, and a sense of belonging; meaning involves experiencing purpose and value in life; and accomplishment concerns setting and pursuing personally meaningful goals. Together, these components provide a framework for interventions designed to enhance well-being.

Positive psychology interventions may reduce psychological distress, hopelessness, anxiety, and depressive symptoms while improving life satisfaction, quality of life, and psychological well-being. Interventions informed by positive psychotherapy have also been associated with improvements in vitality, life satisfaction, happiness, anxiety, depressive symptoms, and perceived pain among older adults. Nurse-delivered positive psychotherapy interventions may also benefit older adults with mild cognitive impairment and depression. Group-based interventions conducted in nursing homes may improve emotional well-being, positive outlook, empathy, interpersonal relationships, friendship, helping behaviors, and self-expression.

Hope and gratitude are additional psychological resources that may contribute to well-being in later life. Hope-based interventions may improve life satisfaction, vitality, happiness, optimism, self-compassion, and hope among older adults. Gratitude-based interventions have also been associated with reduced depressive symptoms and increased happiness and gratitude among adults aged 60 years and older. Furthermore, higher levels of gratitude have been associated with lower mortality risk among older adults. These findings support the importance of interventions that cultivate hope, gratitude, and psychological well-being in older populations.

Despite growing interest in positive psychology, research evaluating structured positive psychology interventions specifically among older adults, particularly those living in nursing homes, remains limited. Previous studies have examined various positive psychotherapy approaches, while research on dementia, cognitive decline, and positive psychology has identified a relative lack of studies beyond mindfulness-based approaches. Further research is therefore needed to evaluate structured, theory-informed interventions that target positive psychological resources in older adults living in institutional care settings.

Study Rationale and Objective

In response to this gap, the present study will evaluate the effects of an eight-week, group-based positive psychology program structured around the PERMA model and adapted for older adults living in nursing homes. The study will examine whether participation in the program improves hope, gratitude, and mental well-being compared with the control condition.

By evaluating these outcomes, the study aims to contribute to the evidence base for psychosocial interventions in geriatric care. The findings may inform the development of nursing interventions that promote psychological well-being and support more positive, meaningful, and socially connected experiences of aging. In addition, the study may provide a basis for future research on positive psychology interventions delivered by mental health and psychiatric nursing professionals in institutional care settings.