Reminiscence therapy
intervention technique with brain-injured patients
Reminiscence therapy is an intervention technique used with people who have a memory disorder, by asking about their life history. For example, if an older person sees an old photo or a vintage car, then they may be asked if they remember when the photo was taken, or if they knew anyone who had a car like that. The technique is used to counsel and support people with brain-injured patients and people with Alzheimer's and similar cognitive problems.
The American Psychological Association (APA) defines "the use of life histories – written, oral, or both – to improve psychological well-being. The therapy is often used with older people." This form of therapeutic intervention respects the life and experiences of the individual with the aim to help the patient maintain good mental health.
The majority of research on reminiscence therapy has been done with the elderly community, especially those suffering from depression, although a few studies have looked at other elderly samples. Research and implementation has been tried in several areas with diverse cultures such as Japan, United Kingdom, USA.
Overall, reminiscence therapy is an inexpensive and potentially beneficial approach to helping the elderly age successfully and happily. It appears to provide them with a sense of overall life satisfaction and coping skills, and may also help to ameliorate the symptoms of depression and dementia.
Reminiscence
Reminiscence has been described as "the volitional or non-volitional act or process of recollecting memories of oneself in the past". In other words, it involves the recalling and re-experiencing of one's life events.
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This entry incorporates text from “Reminiscence therapy” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.