Reminiscence therapy for reducing depression in elderly living in residential homes

Abstract

Overview of the topic: Prevalent rates show that depression is higher in the elderly living in nursing homes when compared to those dwelling in the community (Nazemi et al., 2013). Therefore, this issue needs to be addressed. Apart from pharmacological treatment, depression can be treated by complementary therapies such as Reminiscence Therapy (RT), the effectiveness of which is reducing depression among the elderly with symptoms of depression which is discussed in this dissertation. RT is an activity which recalls events from the past wherein the elderly have to use their senses, such as, smell, listening to sounds, seeing photos from the past, touching objects and tasting food (Assisted Living Today, 2018).

The Research Question: What is the effectiveness of Reminiscence Therapy in reducing depression in the elderly living in nursing homes?

PEO Elements: The studied population (P) is elderly individuals over 60 years of age, with no diagnosis of cognitive impairment, residing in nursing homes and having symptoms associated with depression. The studied exposure (E) is reminiscence therapy (RT), while the final desired outcome (O) is reducing depression.

Method: The key elements of the PEO question were used to refine the search. In order to identify synonyms related to the key terms used in the PEO question, the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms and Boolean Operators were used while refining the search. The combined key terms were searched in four databases. Limiters were applied to narrow the search, while the PRISMA checklist, and inclusion and exclusion criteria enabled the selection of relevant articles while excluding irrelevant ones. Two examples of inclusion criteria are reminiscence therapy and elderly living in nursing homes. The Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) and Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) tools were used in order to appraise the literature.

Results: Seven key studies were retrieved through the systematic search, namely, five quasi-experimental studies, one randomised controlled trial (RCT) and one systematic review (SR). The findings suggested that RT is an effective activity in reducing depression among the elderly residing in nursing homes. The findings of the quasiexperimental studies and RCT found significant differences between groups. Some of the studies included in the SR concluded that group RT is beneficial and should be introduced in nursing homes to reduce depression among the elderly. Nonetheless, since not all the studies found significant differences between groups, it was suggested that further research is required. These findings were obtained by pooling the evidence.

Implications and Recommendations: Locally, there is the need to introduce RT with residents who have symptoms of depression. This is recommended since RT not always been offered to such population.

Conclusion: It has transpired that RT should be introduced in nursing homes to reduce symptoms of depression. However, further research on the types of RT is recommended to identify the most effective type.