The Perceived Health Benefits of Community Service-Learning: Reminiscence Therapy's Impact on Novice Practitioners

The purpose of this study was to determine the health-related impact service-learning interventions had upon university students. College students from The University of Toledo were trained to conduct five, one-hour, sessions of Transmissive Reminiscence Therapy (TRT) with non-institutionalized senior adults within their community. Another group of university students made five, one-hour, informal visits with non-institutionalized senior adults within their community. These groups were compared to a group of university students that did not carry out any form of service-learning. A sample of 89 university students completed the SF-36 health survey instrument at pretest and at posttest; 32 from the TRT group, 27 from the visitation group, and 30 from the control group. The analyses revealed significant positive change on 4 variables among students assigned to the therapy group, on 1 variable among students assigned to the visitation group, and on 2 variables among students assigned to the control group. Significant negative change was detected on 1 variable among students assigned to the visitation group, and on 1 variable among students assigned to the control group. The TRT form of service-learning proved to be the more effective of the two interventions aimed at impacting student health perceptions in a positive way.