Abstract
Reminiscence with different types of autobiographical memories: Effects on the reduction of depressive symptomatology in old age. The aim of this study was to analyse the role of the type of autobiographical memories reported by an individual reminiscence program to explain the decrease of depressive symptomatology found in elderly Portuguese people. A quasi-experimental design was used with pre- and post-test evaluations of the type of autobiographical memories. In this study, participants were 90 people over 65 years old with depressive symptoms, no antidepressive medication, and no signs of dementia. The participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: experimental group (exposed to the program), control group or placebo-control group. The results of the study indicated that, in the participants of the experimental group, along with significant improvements in depressive symptomatology, significant increase in the number of specific autobiographical memories and positive autobiographical memories was recorded. The study also stresses the strong negative associations between depressive symptomatology and the specificity of the memories and their positive nature. The recovery and reconstruction of specific positive and negative autobiographical memories, using the reminiscence program, may be inherent to the reminiscence program developed that explain its efficiency as a therapeutic tool for psychological intervention aimed at the reduction of depressive symptomatology in old age.
