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BACKGROUND: There is a lack of evidence regarding the psychosocial characteristics of individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) undergoing activity-based restorative therapy (ABRT) treatment. OBJECTIVES: This study seeks to describe the hopefulness of a sample of ABRT participants and describe the relationship between hopefulness and level of rehabilitation engagement. METHODS: A prospective cross-sectional cohort study was conducted using a convenience sample of 73 individuals with SCI (mean time since injury = 66.6 months) seeking out-patient, post-acute rehabilitation at a metropolitan ABRT center. Outcome measures included a demographic survey, The Hope Scale, the Patient Health Questionare-9 and the Hopkins Rehabilitation Engagement Rating Scale. RESULTS: The ABRT group reported higher levels of hope (M= 54.78, SD = 7.13) than have been reported in a sample of individuals with SCI seeking traditional rehabilitation in the acute (M= 24.58, SD = 4.06) setting. Rehabilitation engagement was not related to hopefulness in the ABRT group. CONCLUSIONS: The ABRT group demonstrated high levels of hopefulness. The difference in hopefulness noted between this group and previous studies could be due to the time elapsed since injury, the presence of choice in the rehabilitation process, or the possibility that individuals who chose to participate in ABRT may have inherently different hopefulness characteristics than the broader SCI population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: There is a need to better measure disability as an outcome to understand the magnitude of the problem and its impact on health and socio-economic status. The aim of this study was to characterize the physical disabilities present at the Iganga-Mayuge Demographic Surveillance Site (IM-DSS) in Uganda.Methods: WHODAS 2.0 was used to examine the consequences of disability on activity limitations and participation in society. One thousand five hundred and fourteen individuals over the age of 18 at the IM-DSS with previously identified physical disabilities were included. Total and domain scores were calculated, and regression analyses examined differences by age, sex, education, occupation and SES.Results:The mean total score was 40.72. Domain 2 – getting around, had the highest mean score (57.21), followed by household activities (55.18). Domains 5.2 (work/school activities) and 6 (participation in society) also had relatively high mean scores – 47.71 and 49.44, respectively.Conclusion: This study serves as an indication of what the major limitations are among individuals in rural Uganda with physical disabilities. In general, individuals with disabilities had the most trouble on getting around, life activities and participation in society. This can guide public health planners and policy-makers on priorities to ameliorate the impact of disabilities in this population.Implications for RehabilitationThis study found that in general, individuals with disabilities had the most trouble on getting around, life activities and participation in society.This can guide public health planners and policy-makers on rehabilitation priorities to ameliorate the impact of disabilities in this population.Efforts can be made to develop and implement rehabilitation programs that cater to the needs of vulnerable populations including females and older individuals.Programs that focus on education and employment for physically disabled individuals ought to be given priority. These could include legislative changes, and modification of the physical environment, among others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study focused on organisational religious activity (ORA), non-organisational religious activity (NORA), and intrinsic religiosity as potential moderators of the relationship between traumatic exposure and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in a sample of 59 East African refugees living in the United States. Results demonstrated a moderating effect for ORA (ΔR2= .054,p= .009) and NORA (ΔR2= .047,p= .013) on symptoms of PTSD. High ORA was associated with reduced PTSD symptoms for participants reporting relatively low traumatic exposure. However, results indicated that neither ORA nor NORA buffered against the development of PTSD symptoms as traumatic exposure increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Body awareness (BA) is characterised by a general tendency towards awareness and recognition of normal, non-emotive bodily processes and physical sensations. BA considers one's sensitivity towards and belief in how well they can sense, predict, and describe their bodily functions and sensations. This study investigated the role of BA in haemodynamic and anxiety responses to a laboratory stressor. Women (n = 40) completed assessments of BA and state/trait anxiety. Women with low BA displayed higher blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) reactivity in response to the stressor than women with high BA. Delayed HR recovery poststressor was observed in women with low BA. BA was a significant predictor of haemodynamic reactivity over and above trait anxiety. BA effects on state anxiety were not observed. Thus, greater BA is associated with less haemodynamic stress reactivity in women lending further support for the development of BA interventions aimed at stress reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose/Objective: The first year following a new multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis may be a critical time for individuals as they learn to manage their disease. Effective self-management of MS likely requires healthy self-efficacy levels, yet little is known about self-efficacy in the postdiagnosis period. This study aims to improve our understanding of self-efficacy in individuals newly diagnosed with MS by examining self-efficacy trajectories and identifying patient characteristics associated with trajectories in the first postdiagnosis year. Research Method/Design: Newly diagnosed adults with MS/clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) (N = 230) completed a battery of questionnaires, including the University of Washington Self-Efficacy Scale, at 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months, postdiagnosis. Sankey diagrams characterized self-efficacy trajectories and a multiple regression model tested patient characteristics as predictors of self-efficacy change scores. Results: Mean self-efficacy T-scores ranged from 50.79 to 52.04 (SD = 9.40 and 10.12, respectively) across the postdiagnosis year. MS diagnosis (vs. CIS), higher disability levels, and higher MS symptom severity were associated with lower self-efficacy levels at baseline. Baseline symptom severity predicted change in self-efficacy levels from baseline to month 12 (B = −0.05, p =.030). Conclusions/Implications: Self-efficacy remains relatively stable in the first year following a MS diagnosis, though high symptom severity is associated with decreased self-efficacy at 12-months postdiagnosis. Clinical characteristics (e.g., MS diagnosis, disability level) also appear to play a role in setting the course of self-efficacy in this postdiagnosis year. Timely interventions that enhance self-efficacy and/or improve certain clinical characteristics may promote healthy self-management of MS that carries forward in disease course. Impact and Implications: This work seeks to improve our understanding of individuals' confidence in managing challenges of multiple sclerosis (MS) (i.e., self-efficacy) in the first year following a MS diagnosis. This line of research makes an important contribution to the MS population by focusing on an underlying construct that also serves as a promising target for early intervention, given self-efficacy is a key facilitator of healthy self-management. Our findings show relatively stable levels of self-efficacy in individuals newly diagnosed with MS and identify clinical characteristics (e.g., baseline MS symptom severity) that seem to impact individuals' confidence levels in managing the disease. Increased insight to this experience in the first postdiagnosis year can be used to help more individuals self-manage MS in ways that project favorably on long-term wellness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]