title: The effect of group reminiscence on the cognitive status of elderly people supported by ilam welfare organization in 2013; a randomized controlled clinical trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cognitive impairments, which are common problems among the elderly people, account for a wide range of aging disorders. Group reminiscence can be used as a profitable therapeutic method for preventing cognitive-behavioral disorders in older adults. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the effect of group reminiscence on the cognitive status of elderly people.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was a non-blinded randomized controlled trial. We enrolled 100 elderly people who were under the support of Ilam Welfare Organization, western Iran in 2013. Balanced block randomization method was used to randomize the participants into intervention and control groups.Elderly people in the intervention group participated in a group reminiscence program consisted of two one-hour sessions per week for 8 consecutive weeks. Data were collected using Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE). The questionnaire was completed four times by the participants; before, immediately after, two and three months after the intervention.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean±SD of cognitive status scores in the intervention group was 24.66±3.8 which increased to 25.02±3.67, 25.04±3.72 and 24.72±3.66 immediately after, two and three months after the intervention respectively. The results showed that the changes in the mean scores were statistically significant in the intervention group immediately after the intervention (P=0.001) and at second month (P=0.003) follow-ups. However, we found no statistically significant difference in the intervention group at the mentioned time intervals in this regards (P=1.000).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We concluded that continuous programs of group reminiscence could improve cognitive status of elderly population.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  IRCT201405147531N7.
authors.affiliation: Community Based Psychiatric Care Research Center, Department of Community Health Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran;
authors.forename: Iran
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Jahanbin
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran;
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mohammadnejad
authors.affiliation: Community Based Psychiatric Care Research Center, Department of Mental Health and Psychiatric Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Farkhondeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sharif
keywords: Cognitive Status; Elderly; Reminiscence.