The Use of Reminiscence Therapy for the Treatment of Depression in Rural-Dwelling Older Adults

This article explores the potential for the use of reminiscence therapy as an effective means of reducing depression among institutionalized, rural-dwelling elders, especially elderly women. Reminiscence therapy is a nurse-initiated intervention that has the advantages of being cost-effective, therapeutic, social, and recreational for the institutionalized older adult. As a communicative psychosocial process, reminiscence therapy has proven to be a valuable intervention for the depressed elderly client (Cully, LaVoie, & Gfeller, 2001; Haight & Hendrix, 1998; Haight, Michel, & Hendrix, 1998, 2000). It has been shown that depressed elders living in rural areas resist treatment from mental health services for a variety of different reasons (Molinari, Boeve, Kunik, & Snow-Turek, 1999; Neese, Abraham, & Buckwalter, 1999). For those elders, reminiscence therapy may prove an extremely beneficial alternative to more traditional treatment modalities in reducing the effects of depression and depressive symptoms.