The Social Treatment The Benefits of Group Interventions in Residential Care Settings

• Published in: Psychology and aging Vol. 25; no. 1; pp. 157 - 167
• Main Authors: Haslam, Catherine, Haslam, S. Alexander, Jetten, Jolanda, Bevins, Adam, Ravenscroft, Sophie, Tonks, James
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Psychological Association 01-03-2010
• Subjects: Adult. Elderly; Affect; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Aging; Anxiety Disorders - psychology; Anxiety Disorders - therapy; Assisted Living Facilities; Biological and medical sciences; Cognition & reasoning; Dementia; Dementia - psychology; Dementia - therapy; Depressive Disorder - psychology; Depressive Disorder - therapy; Developmental psychology; Effects; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Group Psychotherapy; Human; Humans; Internal-External Control; Intervention; Interventions; Male; Medical sciences; Memories; Memory; Mental Recall; Mental Status Schedule; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; Older people; Outcome and Process Assessment (Health Care); Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Psychotherapies. Psychological and clinical counseling; Psychotherapy, Group - methods; Quality of Life - psychology; Reminiscence; Reminiscences; Residential Care Institutions; Self Concept; Social Behavior; Social Identification; Treatments; Wellbeing; social identity theory; well-being; residential care; cognition; reminiscence therapy; Human; Social group; Theory; Memory; Psychotherapy; Well being; Cognition; Residential treatment; Social belonging; Treatment; Elderly; Social identity
• ISSN: 0882-7974; 1939-1498
• DOI: 10.1037/a0018256

We report findings from an intervention study that investigates the impact of group reminiscence (GR) and individual reminiscence (IR) activities on older adults living in care settings. This research aimed to provide a theory-driven evaluation of reminiscence based on a social identity framework. This framework predicts better health outcomes for group-based interventions as a result of their capacity to create a sense of shared social identification among participants. A total of 73 residents, living in either standard or specialized (i.e., dementia) care units, were randomly assigned to one of three interventions: GR (
n
= 29), IR (
n
= 24), and a group control activity (
n
= 20). The intervention took place over 6 weeks, and cognitive screening and well-being measures were administered both pre- and post-intervention. Results indicated that only the group interventions produced effective outcomes and that these differed as a modality-specific function of condition: Collective recollection of past memories enhanced memory performance, and engaging in a shared social activity enhanced well-being. Theoretically, these findings point to the important role that group membership plays in maintaining and promoting health and well-being.