Comparative efficacy of group versus individual reminiscence therapy for depression in older adults: A network meta-analysis stratified by severity.
Shan Wang, Shuang Chen, Caiqin Wu and 3 others
PMID 42266860WHAT IT FOUND
Individual and group reminiscence therapy work equally well for reducing depression in older adults overall.
Group therapy ranked highest for mild cases, while individual therapy ranked higher for moderate-to-severe cases and showed greater benefits for anxiety and cognition.
Key findings
01There is no significant difference in the reduction of depressive symptoms between individual and group reminiscence therapy when looking at all severity levels together.
02When stratified by severity, group therapy ranked highest for mild depression, whereas individual therapy ranked highest for moderate and severe depression.
03Individual therapy was significantly more effective than group therapy for reducing anxiety and improving cognitive function, while group therapy was more effective for enhancing life satisfaction.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Only one study directly compared group and individual therapy; most comparisons relied on indirect statistical modeling. Blinding of participants and therapists was not possible due to the nature of the therapy, which introduces some risk of bias in self-reported outcomes. The analysis treated all IRT and GRT protocols as single categories, ignoring differences in session length, frequency, or total duration, which could affect outcomes. Searches were limited to English and Chinese databases, potentially missing relevant studies from other regions.
Declared interests
The authors declared no competing interests. The study was not funded by a commercial sponsor.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the SUCRA rankings (which show a preference for one format over another in subgroups) as proof that one format is clinically superior. The direct comparison between IRT and GRT showed no significant difference in depression reduction overall, and the subgroup differences are based on indirect evidence from a limited number of trials.