Efficacy of group reminiscence therapy based on Chinese traditional festival activities (CTFA-GRT) on loneliness and perceived stress of rural older adults living alone in China: a randomized controlled trial

• Published in: Aging & mental health 2022-07, Vol.26 (7), p.1377-1384
• Main Authors: Li, Shasha, Dai, Yanyan, Zhou, Yuqiu, Zhang, Jiayuan, Zhou, Chiteng
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adults; chictr.org.cn: ChiCTR2000037935; Chinese rural older adults living alone; Clinical trials; Effectiveness; Efficacy; Festivals; Geriatric psychiatry; group reminiscence therapy; Group therapy; Groups; Intervention; Living alone; Locus of control; Loneliness; Measures; Mental health; Older people; Perceived control; perceived stress; Psychological well being; Reminiscence therapy; Rural areas; Stress; Variance analysis
• ISSN: 1360-7863; 1364-6915
• DOI: 10.1080/13607863.2021.1935457

This study aimed to explore the efficacy of group reminiscence therapy based on Chinese traditional festival activities (CTFA-GRT) to mediate the loneliness and perceived stress of older adults living alone in rural China. The results can provide a scientific foundation for improving psychological health. A randomized controlled trial of 64 (aged 65.70 ± 3.69 years) Chinese rural older adults living alone was conducted. They were randomly divided into either an eight-month intervention group or a control group. The perceived stress scale (PSS) and the UCLA loneliness scale (UCLA-LS) evaluated the perceived stress and loneliness of the two groups at three different times. A repeated-measures analysis of variance model was used to compare each outcome measure of the two groups. The CTFA-GRT yielded a benefit for the perceived stress and loneliness of rural older adults living alone in the intervention group. Combined with a simple effects test, the PSS and UCLA-LS of those in the intervention groups significantly decreased at eight months after the baseline (F PSS = 23.540, F UCLA-LS = 40.159; all P