The 5 Dimensions of Happiness Program in Elderly: A Case Study of Samut Songkhram Elderly Clubs in Samut Songkhram Province

Abstract

Jatuporn Ounprasertsuk, Tipvarin Benjanirat, Pornnapa Burankun, Ammara Sanpasa, Kanaphat Toamud, Thanya Jarusing, Pitakpong Jantawong

The research was a Quasi-Experimental Research that aimed to compare the five dimensions of happiness of the elderly: health, recreation, integrity, cognition and peacefulness before and after participating in the five dimensions of happiness program. The five dimensions programs were a happy stretching exercise, fun quizzes, funny fruits boost brain, telling a better story, playing with playdough. The target group in this research were 150 elderly from five elderly clubs in Samut Songkhram Province. The research tools were the 5 Dimensions of Happiness Program and Thai Happiness Indicator (THI-15) provided by the Department of Mental Health, Ministry of Public Health of Thailand. The results were proved by the descriptive statistics such as frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, Pair t-test, Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation, and multiple regression analysis at the significance level of 0.05. This study indicated that the elderlies' average score after participation in the five dimensions of happiness program was higher than before participation. The elderly’s happiness level was good, which meant to be upper than other ordinary people. The participants also agreed and satisfied with the overall activities in the five dimensions of happiness program. The research investigated the happiness comparison before and after participation that the activities brought five dimensions of happiness to the elderlies. The research disclosed that working time had a negative relationship with the five dimensions of happiness, in contrast to telling a better story that could describe the variance of the five dimensions of happiness accounted for 5.20%. We also recommended executive directors and staff related to the mental health promotion for the elderly to refer to these findings as a guideline to organize the activity for the elderly in their local community. This program can enhance the better-quality life for the elderly. Nonetheless, according to the limited time of the research, the future works should extend the time of activity to acquire the quality results and should study more with elderly in the different areas with different cultures so that the research results can be applied to create a sustainable five dimensions of happiness program for the elderly’s sustainability.