The effects of reminiscence therapy on depressive symptoms of Chinese elderly: study protocol of a randomized controlled trial

Abstract

BackgroundDepression is one of the most common mental disorders with a high prevalence among the older adults. In recent years, after realizing some side effects of the antidepressants, non-pharmacological psychological treatments begin to attract accruing attention. Reminiscence therapy is one of the psychological treatments that specially designed for the elderly to improve their mental health status by recalling and assessing their existing memory. Though some studies indicate reminiscence therapy can be effective and beneficial for the mental health of elderly, the conclusions are not consistent yet. The aim of this research is to assess the effectiveness of reminiscence therapy for Chinese elderly.MethodsSixty older adults (≥60 years of age) with mild to moderate depression will be randomly assigned to an experimental or a control condition. The participants in the experiment group will receive the reminiscence therapy under the Watt’s protocol with adaptation to Chinese Culture which consists of six weekly sessions of 90 minutes each. The control group will be treated as before. An assessor who is blind to intervention will conduct the measures before treatment, after treatment immediately, and three months after treatment.DiscussionThis study will provide the evidence whether the reminiscence therapy is effective to treat depressive symptoms of Chinese elderly. This research has been registered in the clinicaltrials.gov (NCT01553669).

Effects of individual reminiscence therapy for older women living alone

“…), as well as the effect of individual reminiscence therapy (Chen et al. ; Cotelli et al. ; Pinquart & Forstmeier ; Serrani Azcurra ; Subramaniam & Woods ), were observed.…”

The effect of reminiscence therapy on quality of life, attitudes to ageing, and depressive symptoms in institutionalized elderly adults with cognitive impairment: A quasi‐experimental study

“…It has the potential to enhance institutionalized individuals’ self‐esteem, and to bolster their identity (Chen et al . ).…”

Memory Matters: A Mixed-Methods Feasibility Study of a Mobile Aid to Stimulate Reminiscence in Individuals With Memory Loss

“…Reminiscence therapy can help improve communication between caregivers and PWMLs, thereby reducing caregiver stress (Allen, 2009). Reminiscence therapy also has the potential to improve mood, well-being, quality of life, social interaction, cognition, autobiographical memory, and staff knowledge of PWMLs (Chen, Li, & Li, 2012; Cotelli, Manenti, & Zanetti, 2012; Lazar, Demiris, & Thompson, 2015; Subramaniam & Woods, 2012). However, these findings are not consistent across high-quality research designs (Cochrane Collaboration, 2015; Woods et al, 2005).…”