The Effectiveness of Reminiscence on Mental Vitality and Cognitive Fusion in Older Adults

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Dept. of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

2 Dept. of Clinical Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran

10.22126/jap.2025.11582.1827

Abstract

Subjective vitality and cognitive fusion with negative thoughts and feelings are prominent psychological issues in old age that are affected by psychological interventions. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the effect of reminiscence on subjective vitality and cognitive fusion in the elderly. The research design was semi-experimental with a pre-test-post-test design with a control group. The statistical population included all elderly residents of nursing homes, from which one nursing home was selected by convenience sampling. Thirty-two elderly participants were selected based on the inclusion criteria and randomly assigned to two experimental and control groups. The participants responded to Ryan and Frederick's Subjective Vitality Scale and Gillanders et al.'s Cognitive Fusion Questionnaire. Life reminiscence was held for two months in 8 sessions of 60 minutes weekly. Data were analyzed using univariate analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) using SPSS-26. In the post-test, the mean scores of subjective vitality increased and the mean scores of cognitive fusion decreased, and after controlling the effect of the pre-test scores, a significant difference was observed between the two experimental and control groups in terms of these variables and reminiscence was effective in improving subjective vitality and reducing cognitive fusion (p<0.001). Gender did not have a significant role in the difference between the scores of the two groups in the post-test (p<0.05). Reminiscence can be used as a useful sterategy to improve the psychological problems of the elderly. This result contains implications in formulating interventions based on life reminiscence to promote subjective vitality and reduce cognitive fusion in the elderly.

Keywords

Main Subjects

Aging Psychology
Volume 11, Issue 2
August 2025
Pages 192-173

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History

  • Receive Date: 04 January 2025
  • Revise Date: 26 June 2025
  • Accept Date: 07 July 2025

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