Cognitive decline, mental health and mindset factors can all affect the autonomy and well-being of older adults. As the number of older adults across the globe increases, interventions to improve well-being are urgently needed. Improvisational theatre (improv) and improv-based interventions are well-suited to address this need. Studies have shown that participation in improv-based interventions has a positive impact on mental health indicators, including depressive symptoms, well-being and social connectedness, as well as cognitive skills such as attention and memory. In addition, improv-based interventions have been beneficial for people with dementia, improving positive affect, self-esteem and communication. In this article, we describe improvisational theatre, or improv, and the reasons it has emerged from a form of spontaneous theatre that involves playfulness and creativity to an important tool to effect behavioural change in individuals and groups. We then review the literature on the effects of improv in ageing populations, with a focus on social, emotional and cognitive functioning. Finally, we make recommendations on designing improv-based interventions so that future research, using rigorous quantitative methods, larger sample sizes and randomised controlled trials, can expand the use of improv in addressing important factors related to autonomy and well-being in older adults.

中文翻译：

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即兴戏剧改善老龄化的新视野

认知能力下降、心理健康和心态因素都会影响老年人的自主权和福祉。随着全球老年人数量的增加，迫切需要采取干预措施来改善福祉。即兴戏剧（improv）和基于即兴的干预措施非常适合满足这一需求。研究表明，参与即兴干预对心理健康指标有积极影响，包括抑郁症状、幸福感和社会联系，以及注意力和记忆力等认知技能。此外，基于即兴发挥的干预措施对痴呆症患者有益，可以改善积极情绪、自尊和沟通。在本文中，我们描述了即兴戏剧，或即兴表演，以及它从一种涉及趣味性和创造力的自发戏剧形式出现的原因，成为影响个人和群体行为改变的重要工具。然后，我们回顾了有关改善人口老龄化影响的文献，重点关注社会、情感和认知功能。最后，我们就设计基于即兴的干预措施提出建议，以便未来的研究使用严格的定量方法、更大的样本量和随机对照试验，可以扩大即兴的使用，以解决与老年人的自主性和福祉相关的重要因素。