Effect Of Group Reminiscence Therapy on The Social Well-being of Retired Older Men in Zahedan, Iran

Background and aim: Aging is associated with declined health. To maintain the health of the elderly, it is necessary to develop preventive health measures. Social well-being is an important dimension of health in the elderly. The present study aims to determine the effect of group reminiscence therapy on the social well-being of retired older men in Zahedan, Iran. Materials and Methods: This is a quasi-experimental study that was conducted in 2018. Participants were 90 retired older men aged 60-75 years in Zahedan, Iran who were selected by a convenience method and were randomly divided into intervention and control groups. Data collection tools were a demographic form and Keyes’ social well-being scale-short form. Data analysis was performed using descriptive and inferential statistics in SPSS v.16. Results: The mean age was 68.02±3.46 in the intervention group and 68.64±4.60 years in the control group. The results of independent t-test showed that the mean score of social well-being after reminiscence intervention was significantly different between the two groups (P= 0.002). Conclusion: Group reminiscence therapy has a positive effect on the social well-being of retired older men. Since the elderly are interested in sharing memories and considering that reminiscence therapy is an attractive, simple and cost-effective intervention, it can be used to improve their social well-being.