Effect of group reminiscence therapy on depression in older adults attending a day centre in Shiraz, southern Islamic Republic of Iran.

The aim of this study was to examine the effectiveness of group reminiscence therapy on depression symptoms among elderly people attending a day centre in Shiraz, Islamic Republic of Iran. A sample of 49 people aged 60+ years participated in 6 group reminiscence sessions that were held twice weekly for a 3-week period and completed a Farsi version of the 15-item geriatric depression scale. Mean depression scores decreased significantly from 8.18 (SD 1.20) before the intervention to 6.73 (SD 1.20) immediately after it and 7.55 (SD 1.19) 1 month after the intervention. When analysed by demographic characteristics only marital status showed a statistically significant difference in depression scores comparing before and after the intervention.