Harlem Life Review and Health in Later Life Study

This project addresses the important problem of racial health disparities in older adulthood, in an effort to close the gap in the experience of well-being in the later years. An established, evidence-based, reminiscence program the Structured Life Review (SLR) - has demonstrated significant effects, including reduced depression, improved health, increased coherence, and increased self-acceptance among older adults. However, previous interventions using this treatment have focused on European-American older adults. Few interventions have included minority participants, and only one has involved African-Americans. Expanding this program to minority populations is warranted, given that this type of reminiscence intervention is associated with a reduced number of medical visits and reduced levels of depression. Further, in light of the abundant evidence of racial disparities in health in the US throughout the life course, with older African-American adults experiencing increased levels of chronic disease, the intervention may have important benefits. I will conduct the SLR intervention with older African-American adults in New York City (NYC) between September and December of 2006 and measure its effects in this relatively untested population.

Contact:
Myra Sabir
mgs16@cornell.edu
607-254-8523