The Effects Of Reminiscence Therapy And Cognitive Behavioral Intervention On Depressive Symptoms And Cognitive Functions Of The Elderly

Objectives:To analyze the relationship between depressive symptoms and cognitive functions of the elderly; to explore and compare the effects of reminiscence therapy and reminiscence therapy combining with cognitive behavioral intervention on depressive symptoms and cognitive functions of the community-dwelling older adults.Methods:This study was an experimental study.108older adults with mild or moderate depressive symptoms were selected from a community in Changsha City and were randomly assigned to three groups, two intervention groups and one control group. The control group received routine health education of the commnity, while the intervention groups received reminiscence therapy or reminiscence therapy combining with cognitive behavioral intervention based on routine health education of the community, respectively. Depressive symptoms and cognitive functions of the three groups were measured prior to intervention, and at the end of the4rd month using Geriatric Depression Scale(GDS)、 Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA)..A database was established using SPSS17.0for statistical analysis. Statistical methods included:statistical description, χ2test, kruskal-wallis H test,repeated measures analysis of variance. Level of significance of this study was set at0.05.Results:(1) The baseline data of the108older adults with mild or moderate depressive symptoms showed that the scores of GDS、MMSE and MoCA were16.36±3.96,24.84±2.65and20.62±2.99, respectively. The scores of the seven cognitive domains of MoCA were2.74±1.29(visuospatial/executive subscale),2.68±0.56(naming subscale),4.91±1.04(attention subscale),1.95±0.71(language subscale),0.76±0.79(abstract subscale),1.88±1.27(delayed recall subscale) and5.60±0.59(orientation subscale), respectively.(2) Pearson correlation analysis indicated:GDS and MoCA、 visuospatial/executive、attention、language were related negatively (r=-0.422,P<0.01; r=-0.323,P<0.01; r=-0.246,P<0.05; r=-0.259,P<0.05).(3) Repeated measures ANOVA revealed that reminiscence therapy and cognitive behavioral intervention had significant main effect, time effect as well as interaction effect with time on scores of GDS、MMSE and MoCC(P<0.01).(4) LSD test showed that, compared with the control group, the mean scores of GDS、MMSE and MoCA in reminiscence therapy group and reminiscence therapy combining with cognitive behavioral intervention group were significantly (P<0.01);Compared with reminiscence therapy group alone, the mean scores of GDS、MMSE and MoCA in reminiscence therapy combining with cognitive behavioral intervention group were significantly (P<0.01);After intervention, the scores of GDS in the intervention groups had declined, the scores of MMSE and MoCA in intervention groups had improved, while all those in the control group had all declined.Conclusions:(1)Cognitive impairments were more apparent in community-dwelling older adults with mild or moderate depressive symptoms, especially visuospatial/executive function, attention, language and delayed recall.(2) There was a negative correlation between the scores of depressive symptoms and cognitive functions.(3) Reminiscence therapy and reminiscence therapy combining with cognitive behavioral intervention could all significantly improve depressive symptoms and cognitive functions of community-dwelling older adults with mild or moderate depressive symptoms.(4) The effects of reminiscence therapy combining with cognitive behavioral intervention on depressive symptoms and cognitive functions of community-dwelling older adults were better than those of reminiscence therapy alone.