The effect of group integrative reminiscence therapy on mental health among older women living in Iranian nursing homes.

Only 46 older women from one Iranian nursing home were studied, so the results may not apply to men, community-dwelling older people or other settings. Participants had to be oriented, willing, resident for at least 6 months and free of acute disorders, cognitive disorders and other psychotherapy, so people with dementia, delirium or severe psychiatric illness were not represented. The majority were illiterate, and the authors report poor physical space, poor cooperation from some residents and poor physical conditions. The control group received usual nursing home programmes only, so extra social contact, photos, songs, singing, simple exercise or attention from the researcher and psychologist cannot be separated from reminiscence. The paper uses a general mental health questionnaire and says it lacked a specific instrument for older people's mental health. The results show significance tests but not mean scores or change scores, so the size of benefit on the 0 to 84 scale is unclear. The study selected 46 from a population of 60, but the text does not describe exclusions or completion.

The authors declared no conflicts of interest.

Do not read this as proof that reminiscence alone works for older nursing home residents. The study included only 46 older women in one Iranian nursing home, all without acute disorders or cognitive problems, and the intervention also involved group contact, old photos, songs, singing or simple exercise and researcher attention, so these parts cannot be separated.