Life story books for people with dementia: a systematic review

Teuntje R. Elfrink* (Corresponding Author), Sytse U. Zuidema, Miriam Kunz, Gerben J. Westerhof

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to journalReview articleAcademicpeer-review

    30 Citations (Scopus)
    234 Downloads (Pure)

    Abstract

    Objectives:: There is an increasing evidence that reminiscence therapy is effective in improving cognitive functions and reducing depressive symptoms in people with dementia. Life story books (LSBs) are frequently used as a reminiscence tool to support recollecting autobiographical memories. As little is known about how LSBs are used and what type of studies have been employed to evaluate LSB interventions, we conducted a systematic review. Methods:: The electronic databases Scopus, PubMed, and PsychINFO as well as reference lists of existing studies were searched to select eligible articles. Out of the 55 studies found, 14 met the inclusion criterion of an original empirical study on LSBs in people with dementia. Results:: The majority of the LSBs were tangible books, although some digital applications were also found. The LSBs were created mostly in individual sessions in nursing homes with a median of six sessions. Some studies only focused on the person with dementia, while others also examined (in)formal caregivers. Most studies used qualitative interviews, case studies, and/or (pilot) randomized controlled trial (RCTs) with small sample sizes. Qualitative findings showed the value of LSBs in triggering memories and in improving the relation with the person with dementia. Quantitative effects were found on, e.g. autobiographical memory and depression of persons with dementia, quality of relationship with informal caregivers, burden of informal caregivers, and on attitudes and knowledge of formal caregivers. Conclusions:: This systematic review confirms that the use of LSBs to support reminiscence and person-centered care is promising, but larger RCTs or implementation studies are needed to establish the effects of LSBs on people with dementia.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)1797-1811
    Number of pages15
    JournalInternational psychogeriatrics
    Volume30
    Issue number12
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Dec 2018

    Keywords

    • UT-Hybrid-D
    • Dementia
    • Life story book
    • Person-centered care
    • Reminiscence
    • Systematic review
    • Caregivers

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