Effect of group reminiscence therapy combined with cognitive restructuring on middle-aged and elderly participants with schizophrenia.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effectiveness of group reminiscence therapy combined with cognitive restructuring in the nursing care of middle-aged and elderly people with schizophrenia.

METHODS

Using a convenience sampling approach, 70 hospitalized middle-aged and elderly participants with schizophrenia were selected from a tertiary psychiatric hospital in Hefei, Anhui Province, during the period from March 2023 to March 2024. A random assignment placed 35 participants in the control group and 35 in the intervention group. All participants maintained their stable, pre-existing antipsychotic medication regimens throughout the study period, with no changes initiated for research purposes. While the control group received conventional rehabilitation nursing, the intervention group received an additional intervention of group reminiscence therapy combined with cognitive restructuring on top of routine care. The intervention lasted for 8 weeks. The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) was used to assess psychiatric symptom severity before and after the intervention. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) was used to assess cognitive function, and the Schizophrenia Quality of Life Scale (SQLS) was employed to evaluate quality of life.

RESULTS

Repeated-measures ANOVA revealed significant Group × Time interaction effects for PANSS total score (F(1,68) = 23.96, p < 0.001), MoCA (F(1,68) = 9.01, p = 0.004), and SQLS (F(1,68) = 15.07, p < 0.001). Simple effects analyses showed that after the 8-week intervention, the intervention group achieved significantly greater reductions in PANSS total score and SQLS score, as well as a significantly greater increase in MoCA score, compared to the control group (all p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Group reminiscence therapy combined with cognitive restructuring can effectively alleviate psychiatric symptoms, enhance cognitive function, and improve the quality of life in middle-aged and elderly people with schizophrenia. This combined intervention also contributes to psychological activation and facilitates psychiatric rehabilitation. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable.