Effectiveness Of Life Story Book On Depression And Meaning In Life For Mentally Alert Residents Of Nursing Homes
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Abstract
Almost 50% of nursing home (NH) residents have a diagnosis of depression. Meaning in life (MIL) has been shown to be a protective factor against depression. Life Story Book (LSB) is a reminiscence intervention designed to provide a person with the opportunity to review their past and capture their history, stories, and photographs into a book. LSB has had significant effects on depression and psychological well-being for persons with dementia, but there is a gap in the literature for mentally alert NH residents. For this 9-week study, a quasi-experimental switching replication design was employed with two comparable NHs (NH-A and NH-B) and 21 mentally alert residents. The GDS-12R and the MLQ were used to measure depression and MIL respectively. Participants from NH-A (n =11) and NH-B (n = 10) had a mean age of 75 (SD =11.34). Many had some college or technical training (42.9%). Most were female (81%) and widowed (52%). Over half were non-Hispanic white (52%) and 33% were African American. The majority were Protestant (76.2%) and had been a resident for one-two years (57%). A comparison of the two groups using a one-way MANCOVA found no statistically significant difference on the GDS-12R and MLQ, F(3, 14) = 2.50, p = .102; Wilks’ Lambda = .652; η2 = .35. Although the results were statistically nonsignificant, the effect size was moderate. In light of the small sample size (N= 21), low statistical power, and meaningful effect size, replicating the study with a larger sample size is advisable.