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Reminiscence functions scale: factorial structure and its relation with mental health in a sample of Spanish older adults

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2016

L. Ros Open the ORCID record for L. Ros [Opens in a new window] ,
J. C. Meléndez ,
J. D. Webster ,
T. Mayordomo ,
A. Sales ,
J. M. Latorre  and
J. P. Serrano
L. Ros*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Castilla La Mancha, Albacete-02006, Spain; Research Institute of Neurological Disabilities, University of Castilla La Mancha, Albacete-02006, Spain
J. C. Meléndez
Affiliation:
Department of Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Valencia-46010, Spain
J. D. Webster
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Langara College, Vancouver-V5Y 2Z6, Canada
T. Mayordomo
Affiliation:
Department of Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Valencia-46010, Spain
A. Sales
Affiliation:
Department of Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Valencia-46010, Spain
J. M. Latorre
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Castilla La Mancha, Albacete-02006, Spain; Research Institute of Neurological Disabilities, University of Castilla La Mancha, Albacete-02006, Spain
J. P. Serrano
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Castilla La Mancha, Albacete-02006, Spain; Research Institute of Neurological Disabilities, University of Castilla La Mancha, Albacete-02006, Spain
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: Laura Ros, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Castilla La Mancha, Avda. Almansa 14, 02006-Albacete, Spain. Phone: + (34) 967 599 200 Ext. 8289; Fax: +(34) 967 599 204. Email: [email protected].
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Abstract

Background:

The reminiscence functions scale (RFS) is a 43-item self-report instrument designed to assess the use of reminiscence for different functions. This study aims, on one hand, to analyze the factorial structure and the psychometric properties of the RFS and, on the other, to examine the relationship between the functions of reminiscence and mental health.

Methods:

RFS scale and measures of depressive symptomology, despair, and life satisfaction were administered to a sample of persons over the age of sixty (n = 364).

Results:

After eliminating three conflictive items from the original scale, the confirmatory factor analysis results present a factorial structure comprising eight traditional factors and adequate reliability scores (from 0.73 to 0.87). Using structural equation modeling, we find that these reminiscence factors are organized in three second-order factors (self-positive, self-negative, and prosocial). Results show that the self-positive factor relates negatively and the self-negative factor relates positively with symptoms of mental health problems.

Conclusions:

These results, on one hand, confirm that the RFS scale is a useful instrument to assess reminiscence functions in a sample of Spanish older adults and, on the other, that the three-factor model of reminiscence is a better predictor of mental health than the alternative four-factor model.

Keywords

reminiscencefactor analysisagingmental health
Type
Research Article
Information
International Psychogeriatrics , Volume 28 , Issue 9 , September 2016 , pp. 1521 - 1532
Copyright
Copyright © International Psychogeriatric Association 2016 

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