Kumars Moradi, Houshang Jadidi, Ali Taghvaeinia,
Volume 19, Issue 1 (Volume 19, Issue 1, Spring 2025)
Abstract
The aim of this study was to develop and determine the effectiveness of an educational package for enhancing mental health quality on loneliness and death anxiety in the elderly. This research employed a mixed-methods approach with a sequential exploratory design, utilizing the meta-synthesis method in the qualitative phase and a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design with a control group in the quantitative phase. The statistical population of the quantitative phase consisted of all elderly residents of the Kermanshah Social Security Nursing Home, from whom 30 participants were selected through simple random sampling and assigned to experimental and control groups (15 participants each). Data collection instruments included the PRISMA checklist in the qualitative phase and the Russell Loneliness Scale (1996) and Templer Death Anxiety Scale (1970) in the quantitative phase. Data analysis was performed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). Findings revealed that the developed educational package had a significant effect on reducing loneliness and death anxiety in the elderly. Based on the findings, the application of this educational package in elderly care and rehabilitation centers is recommended as a non-pharmacological, cost-effective, and efficient intervention to promote mental health, improve quality of life, and enhance social adaptation among the elderly facing the challenges of this developmental stage.
