Date of Award
2026
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Psychology
Committee Chair and Members
Elizabeth Kudadjie-Gyamfi, Committee Chair
Sara Haden, Committee Member
Keywords
Coping mechanism, Depressive symptoms, Emotional regulation, Positive affect, Psychological well-being, Reminiscence therapy
Abstract
This meta-analysis examined the relationship between nostalgic thinking and mental health outcomes across eight empirical studies (N = 5,120). Using a random-effects model with Fisher’s r-to-z transformation, the overall pooled effect was significant (r = .29, 95% CI [.13, .46], p < .001), indicating a consistent positive association between nostalgic thinking and mental health when all studies were considered as a single body of evidence. Heterogeneity was extremely high (I2 = 95.63%, Q (7) = 118.698, p < .001), suggesting substantial variability in true effects across studies. Exploratory subgroup analyses stratified by outcome valence revealed that among the five studies assessing positively-framed outcomes (well-being, personal growth and positive affect), nostalgia was significantly positively associated with mental health (r = .34, 95% CI [.13, .55], p = .002). Among the three studies assessing negatively-framed outcomes (distress, pain and depression-related symptoms), nostalgia showed a non-significant but directionally protective association (r = -.22, 95% CI [-.53, .09], p = .170). No evidence of publication bias was detected across three independent assessments (Begg & Mazumdar p = 0.720; Egger’s regression p = .228; Trim and Fill = 0 missing studies). These findings suggest that nostalgia’s relationship with mental health is consistently positive overall, though its strength depends on how mental health is operationalized, with both subgroup patterns corroborating the significant overall effect. Implications for functional theories of nostalgia and the potential application of nostalgia-based interventions in clinical and non-clinical settings are discussed.
Recommended Citation
Jariwala, Rinki Sunilkumar, "Nostalgic thinking and mental health outcome: A meta-analytic review" (2026). Selected Full-Text Master Theses 2021-. 61.
https://digitalcommons.liu.edu/brooklyn_fulltext_master_theses/61