Efficacy of reminiscence in cognition, depressive symptoms and quality of life in institutionalized elderly: a systematic review

Abstract

Objective: To identify the best available evidence on the efficacy of Reminiscence Therapy in cognition, depressive symptoms and quality of life in elderly individuals with cognitive impairment. Method: The methodology proposed by the Joanna Briggs Institute was used. Studies focused on group Reminiscence Therapy aimed at institutionalized elderly people with cognitive impairment aged 65 or over were considered. The critical analysis, extraction and synthesis of results was performed by two independent researchers. Results: Four randomized clinical trials and two quasi-experimental studies (n=296) were included. Given the heterogeneous characteristics of studies found, it was impossible to perform a meta-analysis. Of the six studies included, two presented statistically significant results for efficacy in cognition, and three for efficacy in reducing depressive symptoms. In none of the studies was evaluated the elderly’s quality of life. Conclusion: Reminiscence Therapy has potential efficacy for maintaining cognition and decrease of depressive symptomatology in the target population.

The Effectiveness of Reminiscence Therapy on Alleviating Depressive Symptoms in Older Adults: A Systematic Review

“…Currently, both pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments are available to treat depression in older adults. A large number of studies have shown that pharmacological treatment has many side effects (Wang et al, 2011;Cotelli et al, 2012;Gil et al, 2019), such as gaining weights, risk for heart disease, etc. Psychosocial methods, on the other hand, are often used by social workers as a key intervention strategy to address older adults' depression symptoms due to its standardized operating procedures, minimum harm and side effects, and cost-effectiveness (Lin et al, 2003;Bohlmeijer et al, 2007;Gil et al, 2019).…”

“…A large number of studies have shown that pharmacological treatment has many side effects (Wang et al, 2011;Cotelli et al, 2012;Gil et al, 2019), such as gaining weights, risk for heart disease, etc. Psychosocial methods, on the other hand, are often used by social workers as a key intervention strategy to address older adults' depression symptoms due to its standardized operating procedures, minimum harm and side effects, and cost-effectiveness (Lin et al, 2003;Bohlmeijer et al, 2007;Gil et al, 2019). Life review is both a phenomenon and a method of treatment for old adults with depression, and its impact have interested a growing number of scientists and clinicians (Fry, 1983;Watt and Cappeliez, 2000).…”

“…Although some studies found that non-pharmacological interventions are beneficial in relieving depression symptoms (i.e., Duru-Aşiret and Kapucu, 2016), other studies found no evidence in terms of the efficacy of reminiscence therapy for depression (Wang et al, 2007). We acknowledge that there are two last systematic review on this topic in 2019 (Gil et al, 2019;Sahu et al, 2019), and we integrated them into this review dates. The two reviews both found that reminiscence therapy has potential efficacy for maintaining cognition and decreasing depressive symptoms in the target population.…”

Effect of reminiscence on cognitive impairment and depression in haemodialysis patients

“…Duru Asiret and Kapucu (2016) studied the effects of group reminiscence on the cognitive status, depression, and daily activities of patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease and found a significant improvement in cognitive status (about 3 points increase in the mean SMMSE score), decrease in depression and increase in quality of life. Reminiscence therapy is potentially effective in maintaining cognition and decreasing depressive symptomatology (Azizan et al, 2019; Gil et al, 2019). Reminiscence interventions have demonstrated improvements in depressive symptoms, well‐being, peace and life satisfaction, quality of life, social engagement, anxiety, and cognitive skills/memory (Shropshire, 2019).…”

<p>The Iranian Protocol of Group Reminiscence and Health-Related Quality of Life Among Institutionalized Older People</p>

“…[32][33][34] This can partially explain that reminiscence may extend interpersonal communications, provide an opportunity to express positive and negative feelings towards the past, reconcile with the present, improve the career and family relationships, focus on high-quality interactions, and provide a supportive and relaxing environment. [27][28][29][30][31]35,36…”