The effects of reminiscence on psychological well-being in older adults: A meta-analysis

This paper presents the results of a meta-analysis to assess the effectiveness of reminiscence on psychological well-being across different target groups and treatment modalities. Fifteen controlled outcome studies were included. An overall effect size of 0.54 was found, indicating a moderate influence of reminiscence on life-satisfaction and emotional well-being in older adults. Life-review was found to have significantly greater effect on psychological well-being than simple reminiscence. In addition, reminiscence had significantly greater effect on community-dwelling adults than adults living in nursing homes or residential care. Other characteristics of participants or interventions were not found to moderate effects. It is concluded that reminiscence in general, but especially life review, are potentially effective methods for the enhancement of psychological well-being in older adults. However, a replication of effectiveness studies of the well-defined protocols is now warranted.

[1]  H. Chaudhury,et al.  Functions of reminiscence and mental health in later life , 2005, Aging & mental health.

[2]  L. Lunsky.  Identity and the Life Cycle. , 1966 .

[3]  P. Cuijpers.  Psychological outreach programmes for the depressed elderly: a meta‐analysis of effects and dropout , 1998, International journal of geriatric psychiatry.

[4]  D. McAdams.  The Stories We Live By: Personal Myths and the Making of the Self , 1997 .

[5]  M. Payne.  Narrative Therapy: An Introduction for Counsellors , 2000 .

[6]  R. Butler,et al.  Successful Aging and the Role of the Life Review * , 1974, Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

[7]  R. Atchley.  A continuity theory of normal aging. , 1989, The Gerontologist.

[8]  M Orrell,et al.  Reminiscence therapy for dementia (Review) , 2009 .

[9]  P. Cuijpers,et al.  Creative reminiscence as an early intervention for depression: Results of a pilot project , 2005, Aging & mental health.

[10]  P. Cappeliez,et al.  Integrative and instrumental reminiscence therapies for depression in older adults: Intervention strategies and treatment effectiveness , 2000 .

[11]  L. Viney,et al.  Mourning and Reminiscence: Parallel Psychotherapeutic Processes for Elderly People , 1989, International journal of aging & human development.

[12]  M. Fielden.  Depression in Older Adults: Psychological and Psychosocial Approaches , 1992 .

[13]  B. Haight,et al.  Examining Key Variables in Selected Reminiscing Modalities , 1992, International Psychogeriatrics.

[14]  B. Fox.  The past in the present: using reminiscence in health and social care , 2006 .

[15]  P. Wong,et al.  Aging as an individual process: Toward a theory of personal meaning. , 1988 .

[16]  Laura L. Carstensen,et al.  Evidence for a Life-Span Theory of Socioemotional Selectivity , 1995 .

[17]  D. Altman,et al.  Measuring inconsistency in meta-analyses , 2003, BMJ : British Medical Journal.

[18]  L. Carstensen,et al.  Age and emotional experience during mutual reminiscing. , 2003, Psychology and aging.

[19]  B K Haight,et al.  The therapeutic role of a structured life review process in homebound elderly subjects. , 1988, Journal of gerontology.

[20]  B. Haight.  Long-term effects of a structured life review process. , 1992, Journal of gerontology.

[21]  David C. Rubin,et al.  A Tale of Three Functions: The Self-Reported Uses of Autobiographical Memory. , 2005 .

[22]  Yen-Chun Lin,et al.  The effect of reminiscence on the elderly population: a systematic review. , 2003, Public health nursing.

[23]  J. Cully,et al.  Reminiscence, personality, and psychological functioning in older adults. , 2001, The Gerontologist.

[24]  Jing-Jy Wang.  The comparative effectiveness among institutionalized and non-institutionalized elderly people in Taiwan of reminiscence therapy as a psychological measure. , 2004, The journal of nursing research : JNR.

[25]  L. Pearlin,et al.  The structure of coping. , 1978, Journal of health and social behavior.

[26]  J. Lappe.  Reminiscing: the life review therapy. , 1987, Journal of gerontological nursing.

[27]  Iris Chi,et al.  A randomized controlled trial of a specific reminiscence approach to promote the well-being of nursing home residents with dementia , 2004, International Psychogeriatrics.

[28]  P. Wong.  Personal meaning and successful aging. , 1989 .

[29]  P. Coleman.  Personal adjustment in late life: successful aging , 1992 .

[30]  R. Parker.  Reminiscence as Continuity: Comparison of Young and Older Adults , 1999 .

[31]  Filip Smit,et al.  Effects of reminiscence and life review on late‐life depression: a meta‐analysis , 2003, International journal of geriatric psychiatry.

[32]  K. U. Gutsch,et al.  Effects of Cognitive-Behavioral, Reminiscence, and Activity Treatments on Life Satisfaction and Anxiety in the Elderly , 1986, International journal of aging & human development.

[33]  J. Webster,et al.  Process Variables of the Life Review: Counseling Implications , 1988, International journal of aging & human development.

[34]  D. Ames,et al.  Depressive Disorders among Elderly People in Long-Term Institutional Care , 1993, The Australian and New Zealand journal of psychiatry.

[35]  S. Thornton,et al.  Reminiscence: a critical review of the empirical literature. , 1987, The British journal of clinical psychology.

[36]  E A Cook,et al.  Effects of reminiscence on life satisfaction of elderly female nursing home residents. , 1998, Health care for women international.

[37]  Gregg B. Jackson,et al.  Meta-Analysis: Cumulating Research Findings Across Studies , 1982 .

[38]  Jules C. Weiss,et al.  Group therapy with older adults in long-term care settings: Research and clinical cautions and recommendations , 1994 .

[39]  B. Haight,et al.  The linchpins of a successful life review: Structure, evaluation, and individuality. , 1995 .

[40]  M. Vermey,et al.  Efficacy of nonmedical treatments of depression in elders: A quantitative analysis>. , 1997 .

[41]  M. Mcmurdo,et al.  A controlled trial of exercise by residents of old people's homes. , 1993, Age and ageing.

[42]  N. Bradburn.  The structure of psychological well-being , 1969 .

[43]  H. Okamura,et al.  Study on Effects of Life Review Activities on the Quality of Life of the Elderly: A Randomized Controlled Trial , 2004, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics.

[44]  G. Westerhof,et al.  The sele sentence completion questionnaire: a new instrument for the assessment of personal meaning in research on aging , 1997 .

[45]  P. Baltes,et al.  Selective optimization with compensation: Life-span perspectives on successful human development , 1995 .

[46]  M. Pinquart,et al.  How effective are psychotherapeutic and other psychosocial interventions with older adults? A meta-analysis. , 2001 .

[47]  P. Wong,et al.  What types of reminiscence are associated with successful aging? , 1991, Psychology and aging.

[48]  Gerben J. Westerhof,et al.  Beyond Life Satisfaction: Lay Conceptions of Well-Being among Middle-Aged and Elderly Adults , 2001 .

[49]  J. Webster.  Predictors of Reminiscence: A Lifespan Perspective , 1994, Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement.

[50]  F. Scogin,et al.  Efficacy of psychosocial treatments for geriatric depression: a quantitative review. , 1994, Journal of consulting and clinical psychology.

[51]  G. Glass,et al.  Meta-analysis in social research , 1981 .

[52]  M. C. Davis.  Life Review Therapy as an Intervention to Manage Depression and Enhance Life Satisfaction in Individuals with Right Hemisphere Cerebral Vascular Accidents , 2004, Issues in mental health nursing.

[53]  B. Knight.  Factors influencing therapist-rated change in older adults. , 1988, Journal of gerontology.

[54]  Cheryl D. Thomas,et al.  Elderly Women in Nursing Home and Independent Residence: Health, Body Attitudes, Self-Esteem and Life Satisfaction , 1991, Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement.

[55]  S. Hendrix,et al.  Life Review: Preventing Despair in Newly Relocated Nursing Home Residents Short- and Long-Term Effects , 1998, International journal of aging & human development.

[56]  R. Butler,et al.  The life review: an interpretation of reminiscence in the aged. , 1963, Psychiatry.

[57]  Juan Pedro Serrano,et al.  Life review therapy using autobiographical retrieval practice for older adults with depressive symptomatology. , 2004, Psychology and aging.

[58]  D. Bereczki,et al.  The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews , 2003 .

[59]  A. Arkoff,et al.  Gains in Well-Being Achieved Through Retrospective-Proactive Life Review By Independent Older Women , 2004 .

[60]  E. Diener,et al.  Subjective well-being. , 1984, Psychological bulletin.

[61]  M. Stones,et al.  A controlled evaluation of reminiscence and current topics discussion groups in a nursing home context. , 1989, The Gerontologist.

[62]  Paul B. Baltes,et al.  Theoretical propositions of life-span developmental psychology : On the dynamics between growth and decline , 1987 .

[63]  R. Schulz,et al.  A life-span theory of control. , 1995, Psychological review.

[64]  L. Carstensen,et al.  The Process of Successful Ageing , 1996, Ageing and Society.

[65]  L. Hedges,et al.  Statistical Methods for Meta-Analysis , 1987 .

[66]  I. Burnside,et al.  Reminiscence and life review: explaining the differences. , 1993, Archives of psychiatric nursing.

[67]  B. Neugarten,et al.  The measurement of life satisfaction. , 1961, Journal of gerontology.

[68]  J. Webster.  World views and narrative gerontology: Situating reminiscence behavior within a lifespan perspective , 1999 .

[69]  E. A. Cook.  The effects of reminiscence on psychological measures of ego integrity in elderly nursing home residents. , 1991, Archives of psychiatric nursing.

[70]  M. Carlsen.  Meaning-Making: Therapeutic Processes in Adult Development , 1988 .