Il gruppo di Auto Mutuo Aiuto con anziani istituzionalizzati per la promozione della percezione del benessere psicologico e delle abilità cognitive.

For elderly people living in a retirement home can have negative influences on both the motivational and cognitive aspects. The Self Help Group’s goal described in the present study article is aimed at assessing its benefit with respect to motivational aspects (i.e. psychological well being) and cognitive abilities (i.e. working memory and cognitive inhibition). Eighteen institutionalized elderly were selected for this study: ten that participated at the Self Help Group, experimental group, and eight, that participated at recreational activities, control group. A battery of tasks measuring both motivational and cognitive aspects (see, De Beni, Borella, Carretti, Marigo, & Nava, 2008) before (pre-test) and after (post-test) the meeting was presented. Results indicated a significant increase from pre - test to post- test in the performance at well-being, memory sensitivity and working memory for the experimental group only. This study provides initial evidence suggesting that Self Help Groups may contribute to enhancing motivational and cognitive aspects in older adults living in institutions.