These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: New horizon in improving ageing with improvisational theatre.
    Author: Keisari S, Krueger KR, Ben-David BM, Hainselin M.
    Journal: Age Ageing; 2024 May 01; 53(5):. PubMed ID: 38706392.
    Abstract:
    Cognitive decline, mental health and mindset factors can all affect the autonomy and well-being of older adults. As the number of older adults across the globe increases, interventions to improve well-being are urgently needed. Improvisational theatre (improv) and improv-based interventions are well-suited to address this need. Studies have shown that participation in improv-based interventions has a positive impact on mental health indicators, including depressive symptoms, well-being and social connectedness, as well as cognitive skills such as attention and memory. In addition, improv-based interventions have been beneficial for people with dementia, improving positive affect, self-esteem and communication. In this article, we describe improvisational theatre, or improv, and the reasons it has emerged from a form of spontaneous theatre that involves playfulness and creativity to an important tool to effect behavioural change in individuals and groups. We then review the literature on the effects of improv in ageing populations, with a focus on social, emotional and cognitive functioning. Finally, we make recommendations on designing improv-based interventions so that future research, using rigorous quantitative methods, larger sample sizes and randomised controlled trials, can expand the use of improv in addressing important factors related to autonomy and well-being in older adults.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]