Group Positive Psychotherapy: An Intervention to Enhance Optimism in Women Indonesian Migrant Workers

This study aimed to explore effectiveness of Group Positive Psychotherapy to enhance optimism in Women Indonesian Migrant Workers. Optimism as part of a psychological approach to the concept of human capital has not been developed as one of the basic foundations in Women Indonesian Migrant Workers before departure abroad. Optimism is important to be researched because optimistic can affect positive attitude. With optimism, Women Indonesian Migrant Workers have strong expectations towards everything in life there will be able to overcome with good, although a lot of trouble and frustration overwritten. The study population was Women Indonesian Migrant Workers totaling 60 people taken at random. This research is designed by experimental design. The experimental design is how to develop Optimism Scale and modules Group Positive Psychotherapy, and test the effectiveness of the Group Positive Psychotherapy to enhance optimism in Women Indonesian Domestic Worker Trainee. Of the U-Test on the data posttest between the experimental group and the group, it appears that the value of p calculated based on z statistic was 0.000. The p-value is calculated based on the z statistic is smaller than the significance level (p) of 0.05, so that the posttest data between the experimental group and the control group had no significant difference. It is clear that the research hypothesis (Ha) is accepted that there is the effect of applying Group Positive Psychotherapy to enhance optimism in Women Indonesian Migrant Workers. Keyword: Optimism, Group Positive Psychotherapy, Women Indonesian Migrant Workers INTRODUCTION Total labor force in Indonesia from 1990 to 2004 show the numbers continue to grow significantly. On the other hand, it can be seen that the labor market’s ability to accommodate the labor force is still very limited. The condition was worsened 1. Psychology Faculty, Diponegoro University, Indonesia Email: anggun.resdasari@gmail.com Mobile: +6282133390933 by a prolonged economic crisis so as to increase the number of unemployment. The problem of rising unemployment in Indonesia have a broad impact on social problems, economic and political. With a picture of the above conditions, then a lot of job seekers trying to find luck to tempt fate by working abroad. They chose to work as migrant workers abroad in the hope of labor market wider and open (Tempo Interactive, 2010). With many Indonesian workers who choose to work abroad, and also in an effort to minimize unemployment, program placement of Indonesian workers abroad is one of the priorities to be implemented by the Ministry of Manpower and Transmigration (Depnakertrans). The program in addition to improving the welfare of Indonesian workers could also increase foreign exchange. However, the main obstacle for Indonesian migrant workers to fill job placement abroad is still low level of education Indonesian migrant workers which resulted in a lack of knowledge and skills possessed so in the end we were not able to compete with the prospective labor from other countries because low quality of Indonesian worker candidates. Improving the quality of Indonesian Migrant Workers can only be done through training programs that are reliable, integrated and sustainable. Improved quality of Indonesian workers abroad should be the responsibility of all parties involved (Stakeholders), which includes the Ministry of Manpower, Manpower Services Indonesia (PJTKI) and other relevant agencies. Related parties are very concerned about the quality of Indonesian workers. Ministry serves the regulation of regulations, standards, guidelines, criteria and technical guidance Manpower Services Indonesia as the executor of the rules above in the case of comply, perform, recruitment, placement and protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers. Overseas Training Center (BLKLN) as a designated Ministry of Manpower and Transmigration to carry out training expected to produce qualified Indonesian Migrant Workers candidates. Still a lack in the provision of facilities and infrastructure as well as management training, improvement efforts must continue to be implemented through an integrated and sustainable development. Guidance for Indonesian Migrant Worker is not only equipped with work skills, but need to be given psychological skills to be able to work with optimal and can adjust well. The Women Indonesian Migrant Workers is a female human resources that can and should be managed with a superior strategy. Many problems such as cases of abuse both physically and psychologically abroad is certainly an indication of the weakness of human resource management both internally and externally. Good human resources management is the capital to establish a positive work behaviors 6068 • Anggun Resdasari Prasetyo, Harlina Nurtjahjanti, and Erin Ratna Kustanti