Effectiveness of group reminiscence therapy for depressive symptoms in male veterans: 6-month follow-up
The purpose of this study was to use group reminiscence therapy (GRT) as a nursing intervention to evaluate the post-test, 3-month and 6-month effects on depressive symptoms for institutionalised male veterans after a 4-week intervention. A quasi-experimental design and purposive sampling was conducted at a veteran's nursing home in Northern Taiwan. A total of 21 male veterans were studied to measure the effect of GRT. Eleven participants were in the experimental group and 10 in the control group. The experimental group activity was held twice weekly for 4 weeks. The Taiwan Geriatric Depression Scale was used to assess depressive symptoms and geriatric depression among male veterans. The generalised estimating equation was used for data analysis. The male veterans in this study had a mean age of 82 years (SD = 5.8); 47.62% were between 70 and 79 years old, 61.90% were illiterate and 90.48% were without a partner. After 4 weeks of GRT, the experimental group significantly improved their depressive symptoms and geriatric depression in the post-test, 3-month and 6-month follow-up data compared with the control group. These activities can reduce their depressive symptoms following the intervention. A 4-week, eight-session GRT can effectively reduce depressive symptoms among institutionalised male veterans for a 6-month period.
Abstract: Background: Exposure to potentially morally injurious events (PMIEs) during military service can lead to moral injury (MI) outcomes and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). This longitudinal study examined the relationships between PMIE exposure, MI outcomes, and PTSS among Israeli combat veterans, and the potential protective role of dispositional forgiveness in these associations. Method: Participants were 169 Israeli combat veterans who participated in a six-year longitudinal study with four measurement points (T1: 12 months before enlistment, T2: Six months following enlistment- pre-deployment, T3: 18 months following enlistment- post-deployment, and T4: 28 months following discharge). Participants’ characteristics were assessed via semi-structured interviews (T1) and validated self-report measures (T2-T4) between 2019-2024. Results: Approximately 36% of participants reported exposure to PMIEs during service, with 13% exceeding the clinical threshold for probable PTSD at T4. PMIE-Betrayal at T3 was positively associated with MI outcomes of shame and trust violation at T4. The indirect effect of PMIEs on PTSS through MI outcome-Shame depended on forgiveness levels. Among veterans with low forgiveness, higher exposure to PMIE-Betrayal was associated with increased MI shame, which was linked to more severe PTSS. Conversely, for those with high forgiveness, exposure to PMIE-Self and Other was associated with decreased MI shame and subsequently reduced PTSS. Conclusion: Dispositional forgiveness moderates the relationship between PMIE exposure and MI outcomes, particularly shame, which mediates the development of PTSS. These findings highlight forgiveness as a potential target for intervention in treating moral injury and preventing PTSS among combat veterans.