Effectiveness of mindfulness-based therapy on sleep quality and death anxiety in the elderly with hypertension

Aging is a process that all living organisms including humans experience, so special attention and prevention of disorders such as sleep quality and death anxiety in the elderly is very important. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to determine the effectiveness of mindfulness-based therapy on sleep quality and death anxiety in the elderly with hypertension.

The research method was quasi-experimental with pretest-posttest design with control group. The statistical population included all the elderly with hypertension in Kermanshah in 2021.The sample size consisted of 30 elderly people who were selected by available sampling method according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria of the study. The experimental group received 8 90-minute sessions, and the control group was placed on a waiting list for training. The instruments used in this study included the Petersburg Sleep Quality Questionnaire and Cult-Leicester Death Anxiety Questionnaire. Data were analyzed by univariate analysis of covariance in SPSS 25.

The results showed that the experimental group was significantly different from the control group in terms of both sleep quality and death anxiety. In other words, acceptance- and commitment-based therapy improved sleep quality and reduced death anxiety in the elderly (P<0.05).

According to the results of the current study, therapists and health professionals can use mindfulness-based therapy for health-related interventions, especially to improve sleep quality and reduce death anxiety.