title: Effect of life review writing on depressive symptoms in older adults: a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We examined the effects of engaging in the occupation-based intervention of life review through writing on expressed depressive symptoms as measured with the Geriatric Depression Scale in older adults residing in senior residences.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study design was a randomized controlled trial that took place in four senior residences in New York City. Forty-five participants (23 treatment, 22 wait-list control) ≥ 65 yr old participated in the 8-wk, once-weekly autobiographical writing workshop, Share Your Life Story (Sierpina, 2002).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Depressive symptoms were significantly less prevalent for the treatment group than for the control group after the 8-wk life review program (repeated-measures analysis of variance p = .03).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results suggest that the Share Your Life Story writing workshop is an effective occupation-based intervention for occupational therapists to use with older adults who reside in senior residences.
authors: Department of Occupational Therapy, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Tufts University, 26 Winthrop Street, Medford, MA 02155, USA. tracy.chippendale@tufts.edu
authors: Tracy
authors: T
authors: Chippendale
authors: Jane
authors: J
authors: Bear-Lehman
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001325:Autobiographies as Topic; D003863:Depression / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009519:New York City; D011788:Quality of Life; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014956:Writing