Psycho-rehabilitation method [Dohsa-hou] and quality of life in children with cerebral palsy

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of psycho-rehabilitation [Dohsa-hou] on improving the quality of life of 4-12 year old children with cerebral palsy

Methods: The present research is a semi-experimental study with a pre-test - post-test design, follow-up and control group. The statistical population fully consists of children with cerebral palsy in Yazd. 30 male patients were selected using a convenience sampling method and were divided into the experiment and control groups. Before beginning treatment, parents filled out the quality of life questionnaire and at the end of the treatment period in the post-test and follow-up phase the same assessment was done. The treatment period in the experiment group was 12 sessions [three sessions per week] and the follow-up phase was done 50 days after the test

Results: The results obtained from the analysis of covariance showed that psychological rehabilitation of children with cerebral palsy improves their quality of life and that this difference was persistent in the follow-up phase [P <0.001]

Discussion: Since the rate of cerebral palsy is rising and the symptoms are wide, patients may have an increased need for rehabilitation in the future. Dohsa-hou as a psychological rehabilitation approach is an effective treatment to improve the quality of life of these patients

Effects of transfer training on musculoskeletal pain in the caregiver of a stroke patient: a case report

The purpose of this case report was to evaluate the effectiveness of training of transfer techniques to a caregiver of a person who had suffered a stroke in decreasing musculoskeletal pain, depression and anxiety. This study adopted a single subject research design to evaluate the effectiveness of transfer-techniques training on musculoskeletal pain, depression, and anxiety in a 25-year-old female caregiver of a person with a stroke. The study was completed in four phases, including a baseline evaluation [1st and 3rd week], training [3rd, 5th and 7th week], post-training [9th week], and follow-up evaluation [11th week]. During the 1st week, demographic and descriptive information [such as age, time since diagnosis, cognition and independence of daily living] were collected from the stroke patient. Also, pain severity, anxiety and depression levels of the caregiver were evaluated. In weeks 3, 5 and 7, transfer training was undertaken. The patient was involved in the training with the caregiver under the supervision of an occupational therapist in their own home. The effectiveness of the training with regard to musculoskeletal pain and depression and anxiety levels of the caregiver was evaluated in the 5th, 9th and 11th weeks. The data were analyzed using a visual analysis of trends and levels. The results showed a decrease in pain severity, anxiety and depression during training and post-training. The changes continued during the follow-up stage. This study suggests promising results for the effectiveness of the transfer-techniques training and justifies further clinical trials. A larger trial is required to confirm the effectiveness of transfer training in improving pain management in caregivers of stroke survivors

Effect of "Kashi Practices" on the Improvement of Psycho-Motor Skills in People with Down Syndrome

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of "Kashi practices" on the improvement of psycho-motor skills in people with Down syndrome.

Methods: In this research, 28 men with Down syndrome between 21 and 43 years of age [mean age 25.917 +/- 3.889] were randomly assigned to either a control [n=14] or an experimental group [n=14]. All persons in the experimental group followed 12 weeks of selected exercise training [Kashi practices] three times a week. Prior to the start of the study, and after the three-month training period, each member in both groups was assessed according to the Bruininks Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency [BOTMP].

Results: The results indicated that Kashi practices could cause a significant improvement in psychomotor skills in several variables such as strength, endurance, power, agility, reaction time, balance and running speed in the experimental group [P<0.05]. These changes were not significant in control group [P>0.05] in any compression.

Discussion: These results showed that Kashi practices could cause a significant improvement in psychomotor skills and can be an important step to improve physical fitness, physical activity and quality of life in people with Down syndrome.

Effectiveness of Cognitive Existential Approach on Decreasing Demoralization in Women with Multiple Sclerosis

Objectives: Multiple Sclerosis [MS] is the most prevalent central nervous system diseases that due to chronicity, frequent recurrence, uncertainty about progression, and disability, can lead to various distresses as well as demoralization. Rehabilitation method based on Cognitive-Existential therapy is an integrated approach to decreasing demoralization syndrome in these patients. This study aimed to exploring effectiveness of rehabilitation method based on Cognitive-Existential approach on decreasing demoralization syndrome in patients with Multiple Sclerosis.

Methods: Single subject design was used in this study. Among women who had referred to Tehran MS Association, 3 women [aged between 20-40] were selected through purposeful sampling and separately participated in 10 sessions [90 minutes]. Participants were assessed during 7 phases of intervention [2 baselines, 3 measurements during intervention, 2 follow-up] through Demoralization Syndrome Scale and Cognitive Distortion scale. Data were analyzed by calculating process variation index and visual analysis.

Results: Comparing patients with MS scores on the diagram during 7 time measurement and calculating recovery percentage, represent decreasing in demoralization syndrome score scale.

Discussion: Findings showed that rehabilitation method based on Cognitive Existential approach can decrease demoralization syndrome in patients with MS.

Prediction of Rehabilitation Nurses' Psychological Well-Being Through Personality Traits and Defense Mechanisms

Objectives: In clinical practice, nurses who have shown consternation at the psychological well being are more motivated in practice. The stigma of needing mental health care remains a concern for most people. The purpose of the study was to predict the psychological well-being of rehabilitation nurses based on personality traits and defense mechanisms.

Methods: In a co relational research, the participants consisted of all married female nurses in rehabilitation hospitals of the Qom city. The sample size estimated by Tabachnik and Fidel method 114 and with Overestimate attain to 120 people. The participants were selected by cluster random sampling method. Data collected by Ryff's Scales of Psychological well-being, Big Five Personality Inventory short form [NEO FFI] and defense style questionnaire [DSQ - 40]. Data analyzed by Pearson correlation coefficient and multivariate regression by the use of SPSS software [V20].

Results: Analysis of research data indicated that traits of extroversion [P

Discussion: Considering to the findings of this research can concluded that personality traits and defense styles be able to predict the psychological well-being significantly.

Effects of Individual and Group Training on General Health and Stress of Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Objectives: Stress level of families of children with autism is higher than moderate levels. Since the child with autism and the awareness of their disorders severely disappoint the parents, the problems, too much responsibility, and the attempts to improve the child's situation, which usually fail, gradually increases the feelings of depression, anger, and guilt in parents. This study compared the effects of individual and group training on general health and stress of parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Methods: A number of 75 parents of children referring to Autistic Children Foundation[including 50 parents in two experimental groups and 25 parents in control group] were taken into account. Participated parents were selected through Accessible Sampling Method.

Results: In order to diagnose Autism Spectrum Disorders, questionnaires such as Goldberg-Williams', General Health, Abedin's Stress, and Gars' [Gilliam] were used; while in order to analyze the gathered data, the correlation method [comparison of pre-test and post-test means], independent t- [comparison of control and experimental groups] and one-way covariance [a survey of effects left by individual and group training methods on parents with emphasis being laid on control and experimental groups] were used.

Discussion: There was no difference between parents receiving training in group and those receiving training in individual form. With respect to the correlation between general health and stress levels, both group and individual trainings resulted in a raise in general health and stress levels of parents.

Promoting the Holistic Approaches in Rehabilitation and Health

The holistic approach encourages the client to include rehabilitation strategies that support the general person condition. In this approach in every condition of physical and mental health, decreasing stress and increasing person's immunity and psychological resilience can help the whole body cope better, rehabilitate more quickly, and maintain better health [1]. Holistic treatment means that the rehabilitation treatment should offer recovery treatment that addresses the needs of the whole person body and mind [2, 3]. Having an understanding of holistic approaches in rehabilitation and health is very important [4-5]. Understanding of relational approaches in rehabilitation, developing skills with integration of emotional and social factors have been emphasis in this issue of Iranian Rehabilitation Journal. Most researchers believe that it is essential to treat physical and mental disability in a broader context than physical aspects alone. Even coping techniques, emotion regulations and other conventional methods have a great role [6-7]. In this issue, Rezaei Dogahe compared the early maladaptive schemas in patients with and without Migraine, Namaee showed the influence of the olfaction, audition and tactile senses in blinds, Ghazvini and others investigated Joint Attention in typically developing children, Lotfi and his coauthors evaluated the saccular function implant surgery using VEMPs, and Paknia and others tested the effectiveness of a rehabilitation method based on Cognitive Existential approach on women with Multiple sclerosis. Vameghi, et al, studied the validity and reliability of disciplines clinical training, Ghadimianfar tested the well being of rehabilitation nurses, Saadati and others found the application of high and low frequency rTMS with rehabilitation in patients with sub-acute stroke, Mohamadi et al compared the Passive structureregarding specific language impairment, Tajrishi and her co-authors studied Verbal Self-Instruction Training on Math Problem- Solving of Intellectually Disabled, Safaeepour and others evaluate a viscoelastic ankle-foot prosthesis at slow and normal walking speeds, Delavarian and her friendsinvestigated working memory training in children with mild intellectual disability, Doostian and others found the association between Emotional Expressiveness Style and Addiction Potential in Students, and valizadeh et al studied intelligibility of Speech in Persian children with Down syndrome. Eyni investigated the effectiveness of verbal self- Instruction method in children with dyslexia, Dashteleiand others compared the phonemic awareness skills of cochlear implant children and children with normal hearing, Bahramizadehand his co-authors studied the effect of modified floor reaction ankle foot orthosis on walking abilities in children with cerebral palsy, Mehrpour and his colleague investigated the Narrative Skills of Sequential Picture Stories by Late Talkers, Pourhidar and her co author studied the effects of Individual and Group Training on Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders, Farhadian and others tested the effect of gait retraining on balance, activities of daily living,

Dimensions of Rehabilitation in Treatment and Education

The Iranian Rehabilitation Journal has published many articles related to different dimensions of treatment and psycho-education. As a reference we will review some articles which already published in this Journal. Dadkhah and his colleagues evaluated an individually family-based Dohsa exercise programme of balance in the aged people and its effect on self confidence for performing common daily tasks with less falling could be influenced by training [1]. Sajedi, et al [2] stated that in addition to conventional methods, complementary medicine like homeopathy has been used in treatment of neuro-developmental disorders. They tried to determine the effect of adding homeopathic treatment to rehabilitation on abnormal reflexes of children with spastic cerebral palsy. Regarding children rehabilitation, we understand that children have different needs than adults, and all of the professionals should be fully licensed and specially trained in pediatrics. The facilities for babies, children and their families should be designed with kid-friendly waiting rooms and size-appropriate equipment with the most advanced technology and the providers should work to help children gain new skills and abilities that they aren't able to learn on their own and help children to return to their previous functional status. The Majority of the long stay psychiatric patients who are in need of rehabilitation suffer from schizophrenia. Most of them enter the old age with this illness, and besides the consequences of schizophrenia, they are facing the deprivation and misery due to the old age. Fadai [3] stated that the schizophrenics can have a better treatment and rehabilitation, and can be saved from the social and psychological consequences of staying in the isolated mental hospitals. Ali beigi and her co-authors [4] said that against the background of evidence-based treatments for schizophrenia resistant to medication, the implementation of cognitive- rehabilitation therapy [CRT] becomes more important, especially about patients who don't response to medication. Also rehabilitation is the ongoing management of injuries and disabilities after an accident. It will help people to maximize the individuals` recovery through the relearning of skills or teaching of strategies to compensate for changed abilities. Self-esteem may be one major factor related to the manner in which people with Spinal Cord Injury [SCI] respond to rehabilitation. Sadrossadat [5] in his study

investigated that people with new SCI may have many questions and concerns their new role in the community. The current study suggests that perhaps practitioners need to make a more concerted effort in

dealing with the psychological effects of SCI when difficulties may arise in the community. The growth and development process of the child is influenced by reciprocal environmental, psychological and social factors, and the family's role is very crucial in all of this. Motamedi [6] indicated that those that reported abuse through public information were low in number only at 4.5 percent, which is indicative of poor education and people participation. In the services that were provided to the victims, counseling and psychotherapy were the highest number, and it is necessary to raise the number of legal services provided for the victims [3%], in order to realize the rights of the individual. Shokooh and others [7] studied the perceptions of the importance and

achievement of clinical competencies in rehabilitation

Dohsa training and theory of mind in high functioning autistic children

The theory of mind hypothesis states that children with autism are impaired in the development of the ability to appreciate their own and other people's mental states. The people with Autism Spectrum Disorder needs treatment approach which to strengthen their movement, focus of attention, eye contact and relaxation. "Dohsa-hou" is a Japanese psycho-rehabilitation method by motor training, that many of researches investigated its effectiveness on many aspects of autism spectrum disorders The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of Dohsa training on theory of mind in high-functioning autistic children. In a quasi-experimental study with pre-test, post-test designs without control group, 6 children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder participated in the study Pre-test was administered for all participants by theory of mind questionnaire. Participants were given Dohsa training for a period of 4 weeks, 3 sessions of one hour a week. At the end of training, the post test was done by the same questionnaire. In the study, two tools for measuring the effect were used; Autism Spectrum Screening Questionnaire and Theory of mind Questionnaire. The results showed that there were significant differences between the subjects participated in treatment before and after the intervention, and indicated that in the subjects after the 2 weeks of enforcement of treatment and one month after performing the post-test there was no significant difference. As data showed, Dohsa training was an effective treatment for autistic children and movement has very important role in cognition, learning and cognition performance, especially theory of mind because movement and rhythm stimulate the brain. Together these findings suggest that it may be the autistic children motivation to move in ways they have not tried before that led their improvement during this psycho-rehabilitative program which affect their cognition and theory of mind

effect of a "selected exercise training" on reducing symptoms of dementia caused by Alzheimer's disease in people with Down syndrome

The aim of the study was to determine the effect of a selected exercise training on reducing symptoms of dementia caused by Alzheimer's disease in people with Down syndrome. 27 men with Down syndrome were randomized to intervention [n=13] and control [n=13] groups. All persons in experimental group followed 12 weeks selected exercise training, three times a week. Prior to the start of the study, and after three-month training, each member in both groups was assessed according to the DSQIID questionnaire filled by caregivers of these peoples. Data were analysed by independent T test. The results indicated that the first questionnaire subscales that assess memory disorders and confusion in the experimental group between pre and post test showed a significant decrease [P = 0.028]. Also in third part of questionnaire that asked about the individual skills, social withdrawal, physical symptoms and speech abnormalities, the variable scores in post-test of experimental group were significantly lower than pre-test scores [P=0.047]. These result showed that the combination of selected exercises training could cause a significant reduction in the incidence of initial dementia symptoms and can be an important step to prevent of the dementia in these people

Spiritually-oriented cognitive therapy in reduction of depression symptoms in mothers of children with cancer

Some of the mothers of children with cancer suffer from reactive depression and confront existential crises, and benefit from their image of God in coping with it. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of spiritually-oriented cognitive therapy on reducing depression symptoms in mothers of children with cancer. A single case experimental design and an A-B form were used in this study. The participants were selected through purposeful sampling. We studied three of the mothers of children who had been admitted to the pediatric ward of 'Mofid Pediatric Hospital'. These children were aged under 12years; they suffered from any kind of cancer except brain tumor; cancer had not metastasized to other parts of the body; the mothers themselves had no history of psychiatric illness prior to their child's illness, and had mild to moderate depression at the time of screening. These mothers were subjected to spiritually-oriented cognitive therapy for 10 individual sessions, 90 minutes per week. The depression grade and the changes were measured with Beck Depression Inventory [BDI-II]. Comparing the mothers' scores through 8 times of completing the inventory [three at baseline, three during the therapy and two follow-ups], and calculating the percent of recovery showed a decrease in depression scores. It seems that spiritually-oriented cognitive therapy can enhance the spiritual experience and reduce depression in cognitive and existential contexts

efficacy of schema therapy in treating women's generalized anxiety disorder

The present study was carried out in order to examine the efficacy of schema therapy in the treatment of women with Generalized Anxiety disorder [GAD]. Three women with Generalized Anxiety Disorder [GAD] were selected using Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV [SCID] based on disorders axis I. Subjects were selected using purposeful sampling, and underwent the treatment process subsequent to obtaining treatment requirements. Multiple baseline experimental single case study was used as the method of the present study. The treatment program was carried out for 20 weekly sessions, with a follow-up period of 3 months subsequent to treatment termination. Subjects completed Pennsylvania State Worry Questionnaire [PSWQ], Worry Domain Questionnaire [WDQ] and Young Schema Questionnaire [YSQ]. Results showed that schema therapy is significantly efficient on treatment's target. Schema therapy has appropriate efficacy in the treatment of women suffering from Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Study of body image in fertile and infertile men

Body Image as a multidimensional entity is related to both physical and psychological aspects of the image one has of his or her own body. Lack/absence of an acceptable body image is one of the reasons of mental distress in infertile individuals. In this study, an equal number [No=120] of fertile and infertile men attending Avicenna Infertility Clinic [AIC] were enrolled. The participants were compared in regard to body image variables based on the "Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire [MBSRQ]" consisting of 10 subscales. Data was analyzed by SPSS, version 11.5, using Chi square and independent t-tests. Fertile men had a more positive body image as compared to infertile individuals. Significant statistical differences were observed when body image subscales were compared in both groups; in other words appearance evaluation, appearance orientation, Novy, health evaluation, health orientation, illness orientation, body satisfaction, overweight preoccupation and self-classified weight showed differences, while no significant difference was observed in regard to fitness orientation. It seems that the ability and efficiency of body image is affected by infertility leading to dissatisfaction of one's body image

comparison of marital satisfaction between fertile and infertile women

This research studied and compared marital satisfaction level of the women who have infertility problem with those who does not have this problem. Totally 180 persons participated [90 infertile women and 90 fertile women] were participated in this study. Participants were comprised of those referring to 3 Tehran city infertility centers. For data gathering in this research, the constructed questionnaire and Enrich Marital Satisfactions questionnaire have been used. Data analysis has been done with use of two independent t-tests and one way variance analysis has been done. Results showed significant difference in satisfaction level of the fertile and infertile women, while, our research hypotheses were not confirmed in this regard by studying factors effective on marital satisfaction of the infertile women. The number of unsuccessful pregnancies whether in fertile women or infertile women didn't have considerable effect on the marital satisfaction, while, effect of this factor on marital satisfaction level of the infertile women was higher than that on the fertile women. Generally, by inclusion of limitations in this plan, it is impossible to generalize the present research results with difficulty, though it is inevitable to emphasize on negative consequences of the spouses' life and it is important to pay attention to its different dimensions

Review of abuse and violence against women and children in psycho-social rehabilitation centers

The growth and development process of the child is influenced by reciprocal environmental, psychological and social factors, and the family's role is very crucial in all of this. It is obvious that although it's important to start a family, but what's further important is its survival in a healthy and intimate atmosphere. It has been estimated that between 2 and 12 million American families are subjected to wife abuse. Child abuse takes place in different forms. According to a World Bank report one third of children in the first few years of the new millennium are deprived of their fundamental rights. The present research indicates that those that reported abuse through public information were low in number only at 4.5 percent, which is indicative of poor education and people participation. In the services that were provided to the victims, counselling and psychotherapy were the highest number, and it is necessary to raise the number of legal services provided for the victims [3%], in order to realise the rights of the individual