Reminiscence sessions in social preventive workshops, a group approach

• Main Author: Scolni, Mirta
• Publication Date: 2016
• Other Authors: Zrinovich, Alicia
• Format: Article
• Language: spa; eng
• Source: Revista Kairós (Online)
• Download full: https://revistas.pucsp.br/index.php/kairos/article/view/29447
• topic: Reminiscência; Idosos; Prevenção; Psicologia Positiva; Reminiscence; Elderly; Prevention; Positive Psychology; Reminiscencia; Adulto Mayor; Prevención; Psicología Positiva

In this paper, the authors share their experience in coordinating workshops focused on reminiscence for many years. These workshops were successful in achieving good results in primary prevention in the elderly. We understand reminiscence as "an organized, complex mental activity, which has an important instrumental purpose: allowing the subject to reaffirm his/her self-esteem when his/her psychophysical and relational skills begin to lose vitality." (Salvarezza, 1988, p. 112). The main objective was aimed at socio-prevention, thus it has sought to encourage the development of affective bonds between peers, participation in new areas of relationship and community integration. Working from the positive psychology perspective, redirecting the focus of attention from weaknesses to human strengths and focusing the work on the life stories of the participants, the idea was to increase the autonomy, self-worth, self-esteem of the individual and strengthen his sense of identity.