259. The soothing mechanism of community elderly care service model for dissociative amnesia in the elderly

Abstract Background Dissociative amnesia in older adults is often associated with major life events, chronic stress, and insufficient social support. It is characterized by the loss of important personal memories and is frequently accompanied by anxiety, depression, and social withdrawal. With accelerated population aging and more older adults living alone or as empty nesters, traditional family-based care models show limitations in emotional support and psychological care. Community-based elderly care services integrate daily living assistance, social interaction, and psychological support to create a stable environment that may reduce psychological stress and promote memory integration. Therefore, this study focuses on community elderly care service models and uses a controlled intervention design with scale-based assessments to examine their effects on alleviating dissociative amnesia symptoms in older adults and to explore underlying mechanisms, providing empirical evidence for mental health interventions in later life. Methods Eighty-four older adults diagnosed with mild to moderate dissociative amnesia were recruited from six communities in one city and randomly assigned to a community-based care intervention group (n = 42) or a conventional home-based care group (n = 42). The intervention lasted for 24 weeks. In addition to routine daily care, the intervention group participated in community day-care services, group-based social activities, and weekly psychological support interviews, while the control group received standard family care and basic medical follow-up only. The Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES) and the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) were administered before and after the intervention. Social interaction frequency and participation in daily activities were also recorded. Paired t-tests and analysis of covariance were conducted for statistical analysis, with p<.05 considered statistically significant. Results Following the intervention, the community-based care group showed a 22.4% reduction in total DES scores compared with baseline, with memory disruption–related items decreasing by 25.1%, reaching statistical significance p<.01). In contrast, the control group exhibited only a 6.8% reduction, which was not statistically significant (p>.05). GDS scores in the intervention group decreased by 16.7%, significantly greater than the 5.3% reduction observed in the control group. In addition, the average weekly frequency of social interaction in the intervention group increased from 2.1 to 4.6 times, and participation in daily activities increased by approximately 39.5%. Correlation analysis revealed a significant negative association between increased social interaction frequency and reductions in DES scores (r = −0.48, p<.01). Discussion The findings indicate that community-based elderly care service models can significantly alleviate symptoms of dissociative amnesia in older adults and improve emotional state and social functioning. The underlying mechanism may involve reducing psychological stress through stable social support networks and enhancing feelings of safety and connection with reality, thereby promoting memory integration and psychological recovery. Compared with home-based care alone, community-based services offer advantages in daily interaction and sustained psychological support. Future research should further refine service component pathways and verify long-term intervention stability by expanding sample sizes and extending follow-up periods. Overall, this model provides a feasible non-pharmacological intervention approach for dissociative amnesia in older adults.