“Tell YOUR Story”: Storytelling to Enhance Mental Health and Social Connection in Older Adults

Background & Significance: Older adults in assisted living communities frequently experience social isolation, loneliness, and cognitive decline, which can negatively impact overall health and quality of life.Reduced independence and limited opportunities for meaningful social engagement exacerbate these challenges.Storytelling, a practice rooted in narrative medicine, provides a structured approach for residents to reflect on life experiences, engage cognitively, and strengthen social bonds.Interventions that promote emotional expression and peer interaction have the potential to improve mental health outcomes and foster a stronger sense of belonging in this population. Hypothesis:We hypothesized that participation in a six-week structured storytelling program would reduce feelings of loneliness and depression while enhancing cognitive engagement and self-perceived mental well-being among older adult residents.Methods: Twenty-one residents from Independent Living, Assisted Living, and the Rehabilitation and Nursing Center at St. Dominic Village were recruited to participate in six weekly one-hour storytelling sessions, facilitated by medical students.Attendance required participation in at least four sessions.Pre-and post-intervention assessments included the PHQ-9, SLUMS cognitive exam, UCLA Loneliness Scale, and a self-rated mental health survey.Sessions were audio-recorded and transcribed for qualitative thematic analysis.Results: Participation in storytelling was associated with trends toward decreased loneliness and depressive symptoms, improved cognitive engagement, and enhanced self-perceived mental well-being.Residents reported that the sessions were meaningful, enjoyable, and fostered deeper connections with peers.Conclusions: Structured storytelling is a feasible, low-cost, and impactful intervention to enhance mental health, cognitive function, and social connection in older adults.These findings suggest that narrative-based programs could be scaled across senior living communities to support emotional well-being, strengthen social ties, and improve quality of life on a broader level.