Gains in well-being achieved through retrospective-proactive life review by independent older women

This study investigated gains in psychological well-being achieved by nonclinical, community-dwelling older women through a retrospective-proactive life review program. The procedure was a structured group experience of 14 weekly 2-hour sessions. The workshop group, 18 women aged 56 to 80, completed the program at an academy for lifelong learning. A comparison group, 18 women aged 61 to 88, were also academy students but not in the workshop program. No significant difference in mean scale scores was found on the Scales of Psychological Well-Being between the two groups at pretest, and no significant change in scores was found between pretest and posttest in the comparison group. In contrast, statistically significant pretest-posttest increases in mean scores were found in the workshop group for all six of the scales (autonomy, environmental mastery, personal growth, positive relations with others, purpose in life, self-acceptance), and 16 of the 18 participants anonymously gave the program the top rating of "very helpful."