Autor(es):
von Humboldt, Sofia 
; Leal, Isabel Pereira
Data: 2013
Identificador Persistente: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.12/2839
Origem: Repositório do ISPA - Instituto Universitário
Assunto(s): Intervención breve; Grupo control; Adultos mayores; Terapia centrada en la persona; Sentido de la coherencia; Brief intervention; Control group; Older adults; Person-centered therapy; Sense of coherence
Descrição
El objetivo del estudio que se informa fue explorar
si una intervención individual de terapia
centrada en la persona (TCP) en personas adultas
mayores puede promover su sentido de cohe -
rencia, en comparación con un grupo control
(lis ta de espera). Se plantea que los participantes
asignados al azar a TCP informarían mejoras en
SDC de pre y post-intervención en com paración
con el grupo control.
Un grupo de 87 participantes de 65 a 86 años
(M = 72.4; DE = 5.15) fue evaluado con la Escala
de Sentido de Coherencia (ESDC) y el cuestionario
sociodemográfico en tres momentos diferentes:
al inicio del estudio (t1), post-trata miento
(t2) y a los 12 meses de seguimiento (t3).
Los resultados indicaron que los participantes
en TCP evidenciaron un aumento significativo
en cuanto a su SDC (16.7%), mientras que
en el grupo control se encontró una disminución
significativa (-2.7%), entre el inicio del estudio
y el momento de seguimiento. El tamaño
del efecto en el grupo TCP fue alto (@2p = .776).
En concreto, tanto en la post-intervención como
en el momento del seguimiento, los participantes
que se sometieron a TCP tenían un SDC significativamente
mayor (M = 3.84, DE = .219).
Se encontraron diferencias significativas entre el
grupo de intervención y el grupo control en la
post-intervención y en el seguimiento.
Se concluye que los cambios en SDC fueron
positivos y mantenidos, por lo tanto, los resultados
sugieren que la TCP es favorable a la mejora
de SDC. Por otra parte, ya que la SDC se
asocia con el bienestar relacionado con la salud
de las poblaciones de mayor edad, hay que enfatizar
el desarrollo de SDC en la vejez. ABSTRACT: Sense of Coherence (SOC) derived from the
salutogenic approach and seems to be a health
promoting resource, which strengthens resilience
and develops a positive subjective state of health.
Older adults’ SOC is often challenged by specific
issues in later adulthood such as grieving for
losses, illness, feelings of worthless and solitude,
retirement, disability and death, which require
distinctive consideration. To our best knowledge,
there are no previous studies that indicated the relation between a person-centered therapy (PCT)
and older adults’ SOC. Therefore, this study aims
to explore if a brief eight-session individual PCT
intervention on older adults can promote their
SOC, as compared with a control group (waiting
list). Specifically, this is a randomized controlled
pilot study designed to explore the promotion of
SOC through an individual-based PCT interven -
tion. We posited that participants randomized to
PCT would report improvements in SOC from the
pre- to the post-intervention moments when
compared to those on the waiting list.
The Orientation to Life Questionnaire (OtLQ)
and demographics were assessed at the baseline
(t1), post-treatment (t2) and at the 12-month
follow-up (t3), in a group of 87 participants
between 65 - 86 years (M = 72.4; SD = 5.15), from
community and health centers in the Great Lisbon
area, in Portugal. Participants were mostly women
(59.8%), married (65.5%) and professionally
inactive (63.2%). The Cronbach’s Alpha coeffi -
cients for SOCS were .878, .989, and .988, in the
three moments, respectively.
Inclusion criteria determined their eligibility to
participate in the study. No participant with a
compromised cognitive function integrated the
sample. All potential participants were given a
brief description of the study and gave their
informed consent. After the baseline assessment,
participants were randomly assigned to one of the
two groups. The eight-session intervention was
conducted in an adequate setting and with a
weekly frequency. Comparisons between the three
assessments (t1, t2 and t3) for the two groups were
done using Repeated Measures ANOVA. Post-hoc
Fisher’s Least Significant Difference (LSD) test
for mean differences was used to compare the
three assessments for the SOC, in each group
(PCT and waiting list).
After the intervention, a significant increase of
17.3% (M = 3.86, SD = .218) was observed in the
participants who did the PCT. The SOC evidenced
at follow-up (t3) (M = 3.84, SD = .219) by these
participants was significantly higher (16.7%) in
comparison to the baseline score (M = 3.29,
SD = .245). Conversely, participants in the control
group experienced a minor decrease between
baseline (M = 3.28, SD = .236) and follow-up
(M = 3.19, SD =. 244) (- 2.7%). The effect size in
the PCT group was high (@2p = .776). Significant
differences between the intervention group and the
control group were found at the post-intervention
and follow-up. Findings also showed that partici -
pants in PCT experienced an increment in the three
dimensions of SOC. The highest increase was
observed in the Comprehensibility dimension
(71.2%). Manageability and Meaningfulness sub -
scales showed an increase of 32.9% and 12.1%,
respectively.
Changes in SOC were positive and maintained,
thus, findings suggest that PCT is favorable to
enhancing SOC. In particular, for the participants
who did PCT, the significant increase of their SOC
was mainly due to the high increase of the
comprehensibility of events. This study contribut -
ed to filling a gap in gerontological literature and
this intervention has the potential to offer a
reasonably low-cost self-regulatory approach to
the SOC. In this context, PCT is also a personal
resource to promote SOC, in late adulthood. More -
over, since SOC is associated with health-related
well-being among older populations, SOC devel -
op ment in old age should be stressed.
