%0 Journal Article
%T Healing Pathways: A Program for Women with Physical Disabilities and Depression
%A Dena Hassouneh
%A Thuan Nguyen
%A Zunqiu Chen
%A Elizabeth McNeff
%J Rehabilitation Research and Practice
%D 2013
%I Hindawi Publishing Corporation
%R 10.1155/2013/649875
%X Objective. The objective of this study was to test the efficacy of the Healing Pathways (HP) program in reducing clinically significantly depressive symptoms in women with physical disabilities (WPD). Healing Pathways is a peer-implemented group mental health treatment program targeting WPD who have clinically significant cooccurring depressive symptoms. Participants. Eighty women were randomized in this trial. Design. This study used a community-based participatory intervention research design. Using community-based recruiting methods, participants were recruited from Centers for Independent Living, local disability service organizations, via Craig's list as well as other community locations such as grocery stores and bus stops. Women participated in the HP program for 14£¿weeks. Results. The primary outcome variable for this study was reduction in depressive symptoms as measured by the Center for Epidemiologic Depression Scale (CES-D). We found that there was a significant interaction effect of treatment by time on depression scores, F(3,210)£¿=£¿9.51, , partial . Investigation of the predicted mean profile over time in the intervention group demonstrated that depression scores decreased greatly from baseline to the first posttest and remained stable in the two followups, whereas there was a little change in the mean profile over time in the control group. Conclusion. The HP program has demonstrated initial efficacy in reducing depressive symptoms in women with physical disabilities. 1. Introduction Women are at least twice as likely as men to experience a major depressive episode once in their lifetimes and approximately 70% of the prescriptions written for antidepressants are given to women [1]. The reasons for gender disparities in depression rates include the influence of sex hormones, and the incidence of serious adverse life events such as childhood and adult sexual abuse and male partner violence [2, 3]. Even in the absence of physical disability, depression significantly impairs women¡¯s social and physical functioning [1, 2]. Because many women with physical disabilities (WPD) have poorer health than nonphysically disabled women, they often have fewer reserves to compensate for depressive symptoms [4¨C6]. Thus, when depression and physical disability cooccur, the effects are usually most severe. Depression negatively affects almost every conceivable outcome for women with physical disabilities (WPD), from physical health and functioning to employment, quality of life, and mortality [7¨C15]. This is alarming since women with physical disabilities
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/rerp/2013/649875/