Instrumental Reminiscence and Coping Strategies in Older Adults Exposed to Armed Conflict in Colombia

Older adults exposed to prolonged sociopolitical violence often experience chronic stress that may undermine adaptive coping processes. Instrumental reminiscence, which focuses on recalling past experiences of successfully managing adversity, has been proposed as a strategy potentially associated with greater coping flexibility in later life. This study examined whether participation in an instrumental reminiscence programme was associated with changes in coping strategies among older adults registered as victims of armed conflict in Catatumbo, Colombia. A quasi-experimental controlled design with repeated measures (pre-intervention, post-intervention, 2-month follow-up) was conducted with 64 community-dwelling adults aged 60 years and older (intervention n = 37; control n = 27). The intervention consisted of 8 weekly 90-min instrumental reminiscence sessions, while the comparison group received psychoeducational sessions. Coping strategies were assessed using the Coping with Stress Questionnaire. Linear mixed-effects models were used to examine Group × Time interactions. Significant interactions were observed for problem-solving focus, positive reappraisal, social support seeking, overt emotional expression, negative self-focus, and avoidance (all p < 0.001). Compared with controls, the intervention group was characterised by higher post-intervention scores on problem-solving focus, positive reappraisal, social support seeking, and avoidance, and lower scores on overt emotional expression and negative self-focus; these differences were maintained at follow-up. No significant effects were found for religious coping. Participation in the instrumental reminiscence programme was associated with changes in multiple self-reported coping strategies among older adults exposed to chronic conflict-related stress.