Uses of reminiscence intervention to address the behavioral and psychosocial problems associated with dementia: An integrative review

Introduction: Reminiscence is a non-pharmacological technique used to manage the behavioral and psycho-logical symptoms of dementia. This integrative review aims to synthesize the research on the health benefits of reminiscence intervention for people with dementia. Methods: Whittemore and Knafl's five-step method provided the framework for this review. A comprehen-sive search of PubMed, CINAHL Plus, SCOPUS, and PsycINFO was conducted. The articles were reviewed for eligibility, critically appraised, and extracted the data. Results: Twenty-seven studies met the inclusion criteria. Four themes emerged: (a) Recovery from the Dark-ness of Depressive Symptoms, (B) Enhancement of Cognitive Functions and Filling the Memory Gap, (C) Liv-ing a Fulfilling Life in Late Adulthood, and (D) Fulfilling Reminiscence Functions. Discussion: This review provides a better understanding of the potential benefits of using reminiscence inter-vention for addressing the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia. However, improving the methodological rigor of future studies is necessary to attain conclusive evidence. (c) 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

This integrative review synthesized research on the health benefits of reminiscence intervention for people with dementia, identifying improvements in depressive symptoms, enhancement of cognitive functions, and fulfilling life in late adulthood. It emphasizes the need for future studies to improve methodological rigor for conclusive evidence.