The authors examined factors that could explain the higher levels of psychosocial well being observed in past research in mothers of individuals with Down syndrome compared with mothers of individuals with other types of intellectual disabilities. The authors studied 155 mothers of adults with Down syndrome, contrasting factors that might validly account for the ?Down syndrome advantage? (behav...

In the current review, we highlight recent research on marital quality in parents of children with developmental disabilities (DD) and discuss the child and family factors that account for why some marriages fare better than others. We will also discuss the need for the field of DD to broaden its perspective on marital quality and to examine the impact of marriages on child well-being and the w...

PURPOSE This exploratory, qualitative study was conducted to explore Chinese couples' perceived educational needs for parenting a child with specific learning difficulties (SLD). METHODS We recruited a purposive sample of 25 couples who were caring for a child with SLD at home from one regional child mental health center in Hong Kong. Data were collected from individual couples via audio-tape...

Older people often have companion animals, and the significance of animals in human lives should be considered by nurses-particularly in relation to older people's health, which can be affected by diseases. The incidence of stroke increases with age and disabilities as a result of stroke are common. This study aimed to explore older people's experiences of living with companion animals after st...

Ambient assistive technology (AAT) is envisioned as a powerful tool for facing the growing demands the demographic change toward an aging society puts on care. While AAT is often expected to increase the quality of life of older people, this paper holds that relevant interventions often embody values that can contradict such visions, and in some cases even be harmful to care receivers. We argue...

OBJECTIVE This study examined changes in psychosocial outcomes among participants in an eight-week, peer-led, mental illness self-management intervention called Wellness Recovery Action Planning (WRAP). METHODS Eighty individuals with serious mental illness at five Ohio sites completed telephone interviews at baseline and one month after the intervention. RESULTS Paired t tests of pre- and ...

OBJECTIVE Examine general emotion expression and sibling-parent emotion communication among Latino and non-Latino white (NLW) siblings of children with intellectual disabilities (ID) and matched comparisons. METHODS 200 siblings (ages 8-15 years) completed the newly developed Sibling-Parent Emotion Communication Scale and existing measures of general emotion expression and psychosocial functi...

The optimal care of children with medical complexity (CMC) requires involvement from a network of professionals that includes physicians, nurses, ancillary service providers, and educators. Pediatric health care providers typically have early and frequent contact with the families of CMC. Therefore, they are in a unique position to connect families to developmental, educational, and psychosocia...

The challenges of the epidemic are not limited to concerns about bulk and weight. The disabilities caused by obesity are physiologic and psychosocial. The increased waist to hip girth is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and diabetes. Obesity also has been related directly to increased risk of sleep apnea, cancer, gallbladder disease, muscul...

Populations living in fragile and conflict-affected settings (FCS) endure serious hardship, often including witnessing or having direct exposure to violence. These experiences adversely affect the mind, body, and spirit, and diminish the capacity of individuals and communities to take full advantage of economic empowerment opportunities. A small but growing number of programs have begun to comb...