The effect of life review interventions on the psychological and spiritual well-being of older people: a systematic review protocol.

Abstract

Review objective/question Objective The objective of this systematic review is to synthesise and present the best available research evidence related to the effectiveness of life review interventions on the psychological and spiritual well-being of older people. A further aim is to identify the most effective format and intensity of life review interventions for older people. Review questions The specific review questions designed to fulfil this objective are: 1. What is the effectiveness of different formats of life review interventions (e.g., in dyad or in group format) on older people's psychological well-being (including anxiety, depression, self-esteem, death anxiety and suicidal intent) and spiritual well-being (including meaning in life, meaning in death, life satisfaction, hopelessness and loneliness)? 2. What is the effectiveness of life review interventions of different intensities (e.g., different number, duration and frequency of sessions) on the psychological and spiritual well-being of older people? 3. What is the effectiveness of life review compared with usual care on the psychological and spiritual well-being of older people? Methods of review Inclusion criteria Types of participants The participants of interest will be older people aged 60 years or above, irrespective of gender, race, health status, and whether community-dwelling or institutionalised, who must have gone through life review interventions in the studies. Types of interventions The intervention of interest will be life review. It is a psychoanalytically based intervention which critically analyses one's life history and aims to achieve ego integrity of the participant.11 Life review with the following features will be included: either in dyad or in group formats; • in different settings, including acute setting, rehabilitation setting, palliative care setting, residential home setting, community setting or home setting; • of different designs, i.e. different in the number, duration and frequency of sessions; • conducted by different intervention providers, including physicians, psychiatrists, nurses, psychologists, social workers, chaplains, or counsellors. This review will consider for inclusion studies in which life review intervention is the only intervention used, and will exclude those studies which combine life review with any other intervention in the experimental group, such as counselling interventions or multifaceted TRUNCATED AT 350 WORDS