Effects of a reminiscence program among institutionalized elderly adults

BACKGROUND: Institutionalization during old age requires tremendous adaptability. Among the main consequences of the difficulty of adapting to the institutional context are prevalent depressive symptoms and low well-being. Reminiscence therapy has proven to be among the most effective at minimizing these outcomes. METHOD: This study purpose was to investigate the usefulness of reminiscence intervention in an elderly, institutionalized sample. Following a group format, the intervention lasted eight sessions and compared a treatment group and a control group, using pre-post measures and a single-blind design. We predicted that reminiscence intervention would have a positive impact on depressive symptoms, self-esteem, life satisfaction, and psychological well-being. RESULTS: Significant results were obtained, including a drop in depressive symptoms and improved self-esteem, satisfaction, and psychological well-being. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that reminiscence intervention yielded positive effects in institutionalized, elderly participants.