Effects of a reminiscence program among institutionalized elderly adults.

BACKGROUND Institutionalization during old age requires tremendous adaptability. Among the main consequences of the difficulty of adapting to the institutional context are prevalent depressive symptoms and low well-being. Reminiscence therapy has proven to be among the most effective at minimizing these outcomes. METHOD This study purpose was to investigate the usefulness of reminiscence intervention in an elderly, institutionalized sample. Following a group format, the intervention lasted eight sessions and compared a treatment group and a control group, using pre-post measures and a single-blind design. We predicted that reminiscence intervention would have a positive impact on depressive symptoms, self-esteem, life satisfaction, and psychological well-being. RESULTS Significant results were obtained, including a drop in depressive symptoms and improved self-esteem, satisfaction, and psychological well-being. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that reminiscence intervention yielded positive effects in institutionalized, elderly participants.