Psychological Resilience Level after Cognitive-Behavior Therapy in Old People with Empty Nest Syndrome - A single-case Experimental Design.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of Cognitive-Behavior Therapy (CBT) on resilience in old people with "empty nest syndrome."

METHODS

Three older adults with empty nest syndrome underwent CBT for 8 weeks in a single-case experimental design. Changes in resilience were tracked through measurements at baseline, intervention, and follow-up. Visual analysis as well as an effect size index of Percentage of Nonoverlapping Data (PND) were then analyzed.

RESULTS

CBT resulted in a significant increase in psychological resilience for all three participants across the intervention phase. Follow-up data showed that all subjects were able to maintain their resiliency four weeks after the intervention.

CONCLUSIONS

This single-case experimental study supports the hypothesis that CBT improves resiliency in old people with empty nest syndrome.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

Cognitive Behavior Therapy is effective in increasing resiliency in old people with empty nest syndrome. The culture dynamics is an important component in the emergence and persistence of empty nest syndrome.