Comparing the Effectiveness of Mindfulness Training and Quality of Life Therapy Techniques Training on Happiness, Cognitive Emotion Regulation, and Psychological Capital

Objective: The present study aimed to compare the effectiveness of mindfulness training and training in quality of life therapy techniques on students’ happiness, cognitive emotion regulation, and psychological capital. Methods and Materials: This was a quasi-experimental study with a pretest–posttest design and a two-month follow-up, including a control group. The statistical population comprised all undergraduate psychology students at Islamic Azad University, South Tehran Branch. The research sample consisted of 45 students selected via purposive sampling and randomly assigned to two experimental groups and one control group. Data were collected using the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire (1987), the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire by Garnefski et al. (2002), and the Psychological Capital Questionnaire by Luthans et al. (2016). The mindfulness training and the training in quality of life therapy techniques were each delivered over eight weekly 90-minute sessions; the control group received no intervention. Data were analyzed using a mixed design with repeated measures in SPSS-26.

Findings: The findings indicated that mindfulness training and training in quality of life therapy techniques were effective in improving students’ happiness, cognitive emotion regulation, and psychological capital (P<0.05). The results also showed a significant difference between the effectiveness of the two interventions on happiness, cognitive emotion regulation, and psychological capital.

Conclusion: It is concluded that mindfulness training and training in quality of life therapy techniques can be used to enhance happiness, cognitive emotion regulation, and psychological capital.