THE EFFECT OF REMINISCENCE ON THE AMOUNT OF GROUP SELF-ESTEEM AND LIFE SATISFACTION OF THE ELDERLY

The natural course of aging leads to changes in the normal physiological, psychological, social, and spiritual status of the elderly. Self-esteem is an important aspect of adaptation in all stages of life that will be important in the elderly and is associated with mental health and life satisfaction. This study aimed to investigate the effect of reminiscence groups on self-esteem and life satisfaction of Sari elderly people. This experimental study included 32 elderly people referring to Sari elderly centre. They were randomly divided equally into a control and intervention group. In the experimental group, 8 reminiscence group sessions was conducted twice a week for 90 minutes. The control group had only normal programs. The rate of self-esteem and life satisfaction of subjects before and after intervention was evaluated. The data were analyzed by the use of paired t-tests and independent t-test by SPSS. The results showed that self-esteem in control group was 24 ± 2 and 27 ± 3 before and after intervention, respectively. The p-value was (p < 0.01). The mean life satisfaction score in the test group b efore and after intervention were 21 ± 2 and 24 ± 3, respectively. The p-value for this group was (p < 0.01). The results indicate that reminiscence is effective among the elderly on promoting self-esteem and life satisfaction. So the above neglected simple and feasible technique could be applied either to all elderly care centers or homes.