Effectiveness of English Language Teaching on Aggression and Anxiety in the Elderly with Alzheimer’s Disease

Abstract

Introduction: When aging starts, the human being becomes prone and vulnerable to a variety of diseases and disorders, specifically Alzheimer’s disease (AD), which is the main reason for about 80% of the cases of dementia in older adults. AD is associated with a range of challenging disorders, such as aggression and anxiety, which make the lives of patients more difficult. This study aimed at investigating the impact of English language teaching on aggression and anxiety among older people with AD.   Methods: The design of this study was quasi-experimental pre-test post-test with the control group. The participants of the study included 40 Iranian (20 males and 20 females) older adults (≥ 65 years) who were suffering from AD in Kerman province, Iran, and also they were selected through convenience sampling. The exercise group participated in 20 sessions of English language teaching three times a week in 40 minutes. Then, the effect of English language teaching on both aggression and anxiety was analyzed. The required data were collected through the Persian version of the Bass-Perry Aggression Questionnaire and the Persian version of the Spielberger State‐Trait Anxiety Inventory. Data analysis was conducted by running descriptive statistics, Kolmogorov-Smirnov normality test, Leven test, and one-way Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA).   Results: English language teaching significantly affected aggression among older people with AD (F= 9.112 p < 0.05, w2 = 0.178) similarly; it significantly affected anxiety (F = 9.147 p < 0.05, w2 = 0.130).   Conclusion: English language teaching significantly improves aggression and anxiety among older people with AD. The findings have implications for the elderly with AD and their families, psychiatrists, and English language teaching policymakers.