Philippe Cappeliez

Functions of reminiscence and mental health in later life.

This study examines the extent to which various forms of reminiscence predict life satisfaction and psychiatric distress with and without control for the contribution of personality traits (n = 420). Among older adults, reminiscences to revive old problems and to fill a void of stimulation were associated with lower life satisfaction and greater psychiatric distress. Reminiscence to maintain connection with a departed person also predicted psychiatric distress. In contrast, reminiscences for death preparation and to foster conversation were linked with higher life satisfaction. Based on our proposed model of the functions of reminiscence, discussion focuses on adaptive and non-adaptive uses of reminiscence in later life.

Life review therapy for older adults with moderate depressive symptomatology: a pragmatic randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND. Although there is substantial evidence for the efficacy of life review therapy as an early treatment of depression in later life, its effectiveness in natural settings has not been studied. The present study evaluates an intervention based on life review and narrative therapy in a large multi-site, pragmatic randomized controlled trial(RCT). METHOD. Life review therapy was compared with care as usual. The primary outcome was depressive symptoms;secondary outcomes were anxiety symptoms, positive mental health, quality of life, and current major depressive episode (MDE). To identify groups for whom the intervention was particularly effective, moderator analyses were carried out (on sociodemographic variables, personality traits, reminiscence functions, clinically relevant depressive and anxiety symptoms, and past MDEs). RESULTS. Compared with care as usual (n=102), life review therapy (n=100) was effective in reducing depressive symptoms, at post-treatment (d=0.60, B= -5.3, p<0.001), at 3-month follow-up (d=0.50, B= -5.0, p<0.001) and for the intervention also at 9-month follow-up (t=5.7, p<0.001). The likelihood of a clinically significant change in depressive symptoms was significantly higher [odds ratio (OR) 3.77, p<0.001 at post-treatment ; OR 3.76, p<0.001 at the 3-month follow-up]. Small significant effects were found for symptoms of anxiety and positive mental health.Moderator analyses showed only two significant moderators, the personality trait of extraversion and the reminiscence function of boredom reduction. CONCLUSIONS. This study shows the effectiveness of life review therapy as an early intervention for depression in an ecologically valid context, supporting its applicability to a broad target group. The intervention is also effective in reducing anxiety symptoms and strengthening positive mental health.

Functions of reminiscence and the psychological well-being of young-old and older adults over time

Existing cross-sectional research demonstrates an association between reminiscence functions and well-being in later life. The results of this study replicate and extend previous findings in separate participant samples above and below 70 years of age. Findings suggest a link between reminiscence functions and psychological well-being, and indirectly between reminiscence and well-being 16 months thereafter. Invariance analyses reveal few differences in association between reminiscence and well-being when young-old (n = 196) and older adults (n = 215) are compared. These findings suggest a direct positive association between self-positive reminiscence functions (identity, death preparation, and problem-solving) and a direct negative association between self-negative functions (boredom reduction, bitterness revival, and intimacy maintenance) and psychological well-being (life satisfaction, depressive, and anxiety symptoms). In contrast, prosocial reminiscence functions (conversation, teach/inform others) appear to have an indirect association with well-being (i.e., via self-positive and self-negative functions). These findings are discussed relative to evolving theory and research linking cognition and health.

Optimism and neuroticism as predictors of coping and adaptation in older women

Abstract This prospective correlational study looked at the relationship between optimism, perception of stress, coping, and adaptation in women over the age of 60. One hundred and nine women took part in two interviews, separated by a minimum interval of 3 months. Although optimism was found to be correlated with most of the dependent variables (DVs), hierarchical regression analyses revealed that it lost its predictive power when the effects of the covariates, particularly Time 1 measures of the DVs and neuroticism, were statistically removed. The most important predictors of coping, distress, and life satisfaction were initial measures of these variables, followed by neuroticism. The discussion of the findings focuses on the need to clarify the construct of optimism. It supports the idea that optimism may be better conceptualized as a two-dimensional construct (optimism/pessimism), subsumable under two of the ‘Big Five’ personality factors, namely Extraversion and Neuroticism, respectively.

Temporal references in dreams and autobiographical memory

In an attempt to determine whether temporal references identified in dreams follow the same temporal distributions as those documented for autobiographical memories, 28 younger women (18–35 years of age) and 30 older women (60–77 years of age) kept a home dream diary for 1 week and then slept 1 night in the laboratory for rapid eye movement sleep dream collection. The following morning, they identified temporal references in their dreams and produced a sample of autobiographical memories using the semantic cuing method. For both groups, there was a linear decrease in temporal references identified in dreams and autobiographical memories with increased remoteness for the last 30 years. As predicted, for the older group, there were similar cubic trends reflecting a disproportionately higher number of both temporal references identified in dreams and autobiographical memories from adolescence/ early adulthood compared with adulthood and childhood. The results support the notion of continuity between waking and dreaming memory processes.

Effects of lithium on an amphetamine animal model of bipolar disorder

1. This study examines the effects of chronic lithium administration on changes induced by amphetamine administration and withdrawal on open field locomotor activity of rats, and considered as an animal model of behaviors displayed in bipolar disorders. 2. For 21 days, rats were administered either single daily intraperitoneal injections (IP) of 0.9% saline, 0.15 mEq/kg, or 1.5 mEq/kg lithium chloride (LiCl). From day 7 to day 16, half of the animals in each group consisting of 12 rats were administered twice daily IP injections of either 1.5 mg/kg d-amphetamine or 0.9% saline. From day 17 to 21, d-amphetamine was withdrawn. 3. Neither dose of LiCl significantly altered the increases in activity levels produced by amphetamine. The withdrawal of amphetamine lead to an immediate return to baseline activity levels which neither dose of LiCl significantly affected. 4. The absence of interactive effects suggests that the influence of lithium and amphetamine on activity are mediated by different neurotransmitter systems.

Coping mediates the relationships between reminiscence and psychological well-being among older adults

Cross-sectional and longitudinal studies have demonstrated an association between various functions of reminiscence and well-being in later adulthood. This study investigates to what extent the links between reminiscence (self-positive and self-negative functions) and psychological well-being (depressive symptoms, anxiety level and life satisfaction) are mediated by assimilative and accommodative coping. This mediational model was tested using structural equation modelling. The results support the hypothesis that coping completely mediates the links between reminiscence and psychological well-being. Specifically, self-positive reminiscences are related to improved psychological well-being via assimilative and accommodative coping, while, in contrast, self-negative reminiscences are associated to reduced psychological well-being through their negative relationships with both coping modes. These findings suggest that reminiscence contributes to psychological well-being in part because it promotes assimilative and accommodative coping, which are protective mechanisms through which the self-system constructs continuity and meaning over the life course.

Factorial structure and psychometric properties of the reminiscence functions scale.

Objectives: This study reports on the psychometric properties and the factorial structure of the Reminiscence Functions Scale (RFS), a 43-item self-report instrument used to assess the frequencies of reminiscence for distinct functions. Method: The factorial validity (exploratory factor analysis, n = 453; confirmatory factor analysis, n = 456), the invariance of factorial structure across gender (males = 228; females = 240), and psychometric properties were examined. Results: They support an eight-factor structure similar to the original one, yet question the value of a few of the items. Cronbachs alphas for the various subscales ranged from 0.76 to 0.87. Test–retest reliability ranged from r = 0.48–0.63. Conclusion: The RFS is confirmed as a psychometrically sound instrument for use in research on the functions of reminiscence with samples of older adults.

Development and Validation of a Couples Measure of Biased Responding: The Marital Aggrandizement Scale

More than 30 years ago, Edmonds (1967) recognized the need for a couples measure of biased responding. Like other categories of self-report instruments, marital measures are believed to be highly susceptible to distortion. In this study, we describe the development of the Marital Aggrandizement Scale (MAS). For this study, item analyses were performed on a subset of responses (n = 200). A priori inclusion criteria were applied from which a set of 18 items was selected. Three phases of validation research establish the reliability and validity of responses to the MAS among an international sample of older married adults (n = 410). The concurrent and discriminant validity of responses to this scale is demonstrated vis-à-vis separate measures of biased responding, marital satisfaction, and psychological well-being. Internal consistency was calculated as α = .84. Test-retest reliability was calculated as r(200) = .80 over an average interval of 15 months. The challenge remains to identify factors associated with the etiology and maintenance of this construct. Subsequent research is required to identify correlates and antecedents of marital aggrandizement across populations over time.

Functions of Reminiscence in Later Life as Viewed by Young and Old Adults.

Reminiscence is the process of thinking or telling about past experiences. The goal of this study was to investigate which functions young adults attribute to their own reminiscences, and to the reminiscences of older persons. The views of young adults on the reminiscences of older adults were also compared with the self-reports of older persons on their reminiscences. We used the Reminiscence Functions Scale (Webster, 1993,1997), which measures eight functions: Boredom Reduction, Death Preparation, Identity, Problem-Solving, Conversation, Intimacy Maintenance, Bitterness Revival, and Teach/Inform. Seventy-six undergraduate students reported on their own uses of reminiscences. A few weeks later, they gave their views regarding the functions for older persons on the same scale. Eighty-three adults over the age of 65 completed the scale regarding their own uses. Age-appropriate higher uses of the functions of Boredom Reduction, Identity and Problem-Solving characterized the young adults. Older adults most characteristically used reminiscence for Teach/ Inform, i.e. for transmission of life experiences. Compared to themselves, young adults believed that older adults reminisced more for practically all functions, which reflects the stereotypical view. When these beliefs were checked against the reports of older adults, it became clear that young adults overestimated almost all uses, especially Boredom Reduction, Death Preparation, and Teach/Inform. These findings reflect the prevalence of ageist assumptions regarding the uses of reminiscence by older persons.