Abstract
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by motor and non-motor features. Many people with PD struggle with mental health issues such as depression. Evidence suggests that people with PD may have trouble adopting a hopeful or positive orientation given their diagnosis and symptoms. There has been relatively little research on psychological treatments for PD tend to be few and even less research focused on promoting hope and well-being. The Strengths, Hope, and Resourcefulness Program for People with Parkinson’s Disease was developed to begin to address this treatment gap. This qualitative study identifies seven processes group members found helpful during treatment: Accessing Hope, Comparing, Drawing Together, Reaching Beyond Self, Releasing Emotion, Sharing Skills/Picking Up Resources, and Self-Reflecting/Personal Insight. The unique contributions of an intentional and explicit hope, strengths, and resources intervention are discussed with specific attention to therapeutic process and practice.
Keywords: Hope, Positive Psychology, Group Therapy, Strengths, Qualitative, Parkinson’s Disease