Music-assisted Reminiscence Therapy: The feasibility of training of age-care staff and the role of emotional co-regulation and culture

Project Members: Dr. Romy Engelbrecht, Dr. Andrea B. Horn, Beatrice Iten

This project investigated emotional co-regulation and cultural influences in how care staff implemented an evidence-based intervention, music-assisted reminiscence therapy (MRT), to meet the diverse psychological and emotional needs of older adults. Care staff in long-term care facilities in Switzerland and Australia received training in MRT through a workshop, a detailed manual, and instructional videos. Mixed-method data was collected to examine how this intervention was applied and adapted in practice to support residents.

The study explored cultural differences and similarities in the perceived needs of residents, the language and techniques used to implement MRT, and how staff recognized and responded to emotional cues. This research was part of a grant awarded to Romy Engelbrecht (University of Queensland, visiting UZH September 2023 -February 2024) by the Swiss government. It was conducted at the UZH Healthy Longevity Center within the research group CoupleSense: Health and Interpersonal Emotion Regulation , led by Andrea B. Horn, with Beatrice Iten contributing as a master’s student.