What is
Reminiscence Therapy?
Definition
Reminiscence:
"Recall to mind of a long-forgotten experience or fact; process of practice of thinking or telling about past experiences; a remembered experience; an account of a memorable experience" (Merriam-Webster, n.d.)
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Reminiscence Therapy:
While there is no one clear, definitive definition of reminiscence therapy, as a whole, it is incorporating the use of reminiscence into a treatment modality to work with an individual, including an individual with Alzheimer's disease and relate dementia (ADRD).
Initially, reminiscence therapy began as life review, first coined by Robert Butler in 1963, which he described as the act upon reflecting upon their lives and to bring solace and resolution as a person nears death or advanced age (Bluck & Levine, 1998; Butler, 2003).
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Life review is typically done with adults who do not have cognitive impairments, but reminiscence therapy has been included as treatments for the ADRD population. It can be used as a means to promote engagement with others (Rainbow, 2003).
Historical Timeline of the Development of Reminiscence Therapy
1950s
Erik Erikson developed his Stages of Psychosocial Development, in which the stage of late adulthood (integrity vs. despair) would influence the development of reminiscence therapy (Lin et al., 2003)
1963
Robert Butler coined the concept of life review, which would later become reminiscence therapy (Bluck & Levine, 1998)
1971
Charles Lewis conducted the first experimental reminiscence therapy study, assessing the cognitive differences between those who reminisce, and those who don't (Lewis, 1971)
1970s
Reminiscence therapy was introduced to the ADRD population (Woods et al., 2018)
1977
Mick Kemp conducted the first experiment utilizing reminiscence therapy with the ADRD population under the Department of Health and Social Security in the United Kingdom (Bornat, 1989).
1998
Rubin et al. published a manuscript detailing the strongest memories are formed between the ages of 10 and 30 (Rubin et al., 1998)
References
Bluck, S. & Levine, L. J. (1998). Reminiscence as autobiographical memory: A catalyst for reminiscence theory development. Aging and Society, 18: 185 – 208.
Bornat, J. (1989). Oral history as a social movement: Reminiscence and older people. Oral History, 17(2), 16-24.
Butler, R. N. (2003). Age, death, and life review. In Doka, K. J. (eds). Living with grief: Loss in later life (p. 4-10). Washington, DC: Hospice Foundation of America.
Lewis, C. N. (1971). Reminiscing and self-concept in old age. Journal of Gerontology, 26(2), 240-243. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronj/26.2.240
Lin, Y.C., Dai, Y.T., Hwang, S.L. (2003). The effect of reminiscence on the elderly population: A systematic review. Public Health Nursing, 20(4). https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1525-1446.2003.20407.x
Merriam-Webster, (n.d.). Definition of reminiscence. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reminiscence
Rainbow, A. (2003). The reminiscence skills training handbook, 1st ed. New York: Speechmark Publishing Ltc.
Rubin, D. C., Rahhal, T. A., & Poon, L. W. (1998). Things learned in early adulthood are remembered best. Memory and Cognition, 26(1): 3-19. https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03211366
Woods, B., O’Philbin, L., Farrell, E. M., Spector, A. E., & Orrell, M. (2018). Reminiscence therapy for dementia. Cochrane Database Systematic Review, 3. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD001120.pub3