Reminiscence therapy is the examination of past memories to improve current mood and psychological functioning and is an evidence-based treatment for symptoms of late life psychological distress. Music is sometimes used in such therapy to prompt or enhance the recollection of memories; however, there is limited empirical research on the use and value of using music in reminiscence therapy. This presentation will discuss the findings of two studies exploring the feasibility and use of verbal reminiscence therapy (VRT) and music-assisted reminiscence therapy (MRT) from the perspectives of the older adult and the staff who care for them.

Study one surveyed 110 Australian workers in aged care to explore the extent to which VRT and MRT were used, how such interventions were delivered and viewed, and the benefits. Study two randomly assigned 8 older adults experiencing psychological distress to a single session of VRT or MRT. Pre and post measures of affect, memory experience, and a brief satisfaction interview were collected, along with measures of treatment fidelity.

For staff, simple reminiscence was the most frequently used approach across both VRT and MRT. Staff reported that both VRT and MRT are viewed as successful and regularly used interventions, that occur in spontaneous and creative ways in response to older clients’ needs. Staff reported outcomes such as enhanced social connections, improved affect and mood, and better care practices. Older adults reported that that VRT and MRT were equally acceptable and well tolerated. A pre-post pattern of improvement was observed for affect following VRT, and particularly MRT, suggesting both as promising interventions. MRT resulted in higher scores on memory experience characteristics such as vividness, coherence, and accessibility. The high treatment fidelity achieved in this study indicates that the interventions can be successfully implemented with this population.

VRT and particularly MRT were viewed as successful, feasibility and acceptable interventions by older adults experiencing psychological distress, and direct care staff in Australia. These preliminary findings indicated MRT may provide therapeutic changes above and beyond VRT for older adults, and therefore large-scale clinical trials are warranted.