This study examined the therapeutic role of a structured life review process in a randomly selected group of 60 homebound elderly subjects. Subjects were placed in three groups and tested on four dependent variables at the beginning and end of an 8-week period. These variables were life satisfaction, psychological well-being, depression, and activities of daily living (ADL). One group, the experimental group, received the treatment of life review process; another, the control group, received a friendly visit; and the third, the no-treatment group, received pretests and posttests only. Two dependent variables, life satisfaction, as operationalized by the Life Satisfaction Index A (LSIA), and psychological well-being, as operationalized by the Affect-Balance Scale (ABS), were significant in the experimental group when tested statistically through analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). These results suggest that a structured process of life review can serve as a therapeutic intervention for homebound elderly persons.

Relocation to a nursing home places frail elders at risk for developing depression and suicide ideation. This study followed two hundred and fifty-six newly relocated nursing home residents for five years. Using a Solomon Four research design, participants were divided into four groups, two control and two experimental, one each with pretesting and all with posttesting. Participants in the control groups received a friendly visit and those in the experimental groups received the intervention of life review. Immediate short-term results showed the life review to be an effective preventive intervention for clinical depression (p = .05). Additionally, when looking at long-term effects at one year, there were significant decrease in depression (p = .05), hopelessness (p = .01), and psychological well-being (p = .02) with measurable increases in life satisfaction (p = .08). These findings support the hypothesis that life review prevents despair in frail elders newly admitted to a nursing home.

There are few interventions that help people with dementia retain or regain a sense of self. Thus, a controlled pilot study examined a life review/life storybook intervention, delivered by familiar care assistants to 30 people with dementia residing in assisted living facilities in Northern Ireland. A multivariate analysis of covariance showed significant change by group (F = 5.01, p < 0.014), particularly on depression (F = 7.54, p < 0.015), communication (F = 23.36, p < 0.005), positive mood (F = 9.47, p < 0.008), and cognition (F = 20.77, p < 0.005), suggesting a potentially promising technique to assist people with dementia.

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To date, there is little information on the therapeutic effects of the life review beyond one year. This analysis followed fifty-two of 256 subjects who lived for at least three years in a nursing home. These participants received either a life review or friendly visit and took part in four repeated testings to determine the lasting effects of the life review at two and three years. Measures of integrity (life satisfaction, psychosocial well being, self-esteem) and despair (depression, hopelessness, and suicide intent) were used as pretest, posttest, and retest. Results showed a trend toward continued and by year three significant improvement over time in those who received the life review on measures of depression (t = -2.20, p < .03), life satisfaction (t = 2.51, p < .02), and self-esteem (t = -2.31, p < .03).