BACKGROUND: In 2005, Hurricane Katrina caused extensive damage to parts of Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama, causing many people, including vulnerable older adults, to evacuate to safe surroundings. Approximately 23,000 evacuees–many of them 65 years old or older, frail, and lacking family to advocate for their care–arrived at the Reliant Astrodome Complex in Houston, Texas. There […]
This study examined the effectiveness of an educational approach to psychiatric rehabilitation called the Recovery Center. Using a quasi-experimental design we recruited 97 intervention and 81 comparison participants and examined the intervention’s impact on health, mental health, subjective, and role functioning outcomes. Results suggested that this intervention was effective in improving subjective outcomes, especially empowerment […]
BRIEFING SUMMARY This briefing summary provides an overview of some of the treatments being used for depressive symptoms and clinical depression in people with disabilities. Youth According to the website of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), depression in children and adolescents is a serious disease, causing significant problems at home, in school, and […]
BRIEFING SUMMARY This briefing summary provides an overview of some of the issues involved with depressive symptoms and clinical depression in people with disabilities, as well as a discussion of prevalence. Definition of Depressive Symptoms and Clinical Depression First, it is important to distinguish between dysthymic disorder (symptoms of chronic, mild depression persisting for at […]
An online focus group was used to investigate perceptions of eight adults with cerebral palsy who used AAC systems about their recreation activities and leisure experiences. Six themes emerged from discussions on benefits of leisure and community recreation: improved physical health, enjoyment, improved mental health, increased independence, enhanced social connections, and education of society. Nine […]
Predictors of psychological distress in family caregivers of persons with psychiatric disabilities. Provencher HL, Perreault M, St-Onge M, Rousseau M. Faculty of Nursing, Laval University, Centre de Recherche Universite Laval-Robert Giffard, Quebec, Canada. helene.provencher@fsi.ulaval.ca J Psychiatr Ment Health Nurs. 2003 Oct;10(5):592-607. The purpose of the study was to determine the relationships of primary and secondary […]
Caregiving process and caregiver burden: conceptual models to guide research and practice. Raina P, O’Donnell M, Schwellnus H, Rosenbaum P, King G, Brehaut J, Russell D, Swinton M, King S, Wong M, Walter SD, Wood E. McMaster University, Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. praina@mcmaster.ca BMC Pediatr. 2004 Jan 14;4:1. BACKGROUND: […]
We used the AAMR’s Adaptive Behavior Scale to ascertain current menstrual status in a population-based sample of 157 women with Down’s syndrome (DS) and 187 women with other intellectual disability, all 40 years of age or older. The age-adjusted likelihood of menopause was twice as high in women with DS syndrome as in women with other […]
Individuals with mental illness are particularly disadvantaged by their use of tobacco, spending as much as 40% of their income on cigarettes. They also have increased mortality from cardiovascular and respiratory disorders. The most effective interventions to help psychiatric patients stop smoking are similar to those that are effective in the general population. These include […]
The current study examined mental health clinician attitudes regarding smoking cessation for psychiatric and substance abusing patients. Participants included n = 15 never smokers, n = 12 former smokers, and n = 7 current smokers. There was a trend (p = 0.08) for current smokers as compared to former and never smokers to be less […]