Mental Fitness in Elderly: Active Aging to Promote Self-esteem and Quality of Life

Abstract

In order to understand the impact of the memory stimulation workshops in older people on different variables such as self-esteem, memory self perception, quality of life and aging negative stereotypes, a psychosocial intervention in this line was implemented in a rural area of Malaga province (Spain). Thirty subjects aged ranged from sixty to ninety years old took part in a memory stimulation workshop. Prior to the workshop is conducted an assessment of the variables mentioned above was carried out following a pre-post methodological design. Non-parametric tests Wilcoxon W and Hedges’ g statistical was obtained to calculate the effect size were used. Partial correlations and two linear regression analyses were also carried out. The results allow to conclude that memory stimulation workshops exert a positive impact on the elder participants through out a increasing of their cognitive competence, self-esteem and quality of life, as well as a reduction in their negative aging stereotypes. This work must be taken as a research pilot study because of the small sample. In this line, it would be necessary to continue studies with an increasing population in order to get a more extensive confirmation of these results.