A Conceptual Model to Promote the Retention of Women with Physical Disabilities in Research.

Inadequate participant recruitment and retention practices can affect sample representativeness and thus the generalizability of research findings. Retention of research participants has been examined within the literature to some extent; however, there is no consensus on best practice in achieving acceptable results. Furthermore, there is a gap in understanding how to engage and retain women with physical disabilities (WPDs) in research. To address these oversights, we review (1) the significance of retention as a methodological concern, (2) factors that influence the involvement and retention of participants in research, including individual, population, and health-illness considerations, and (3) particular circumstances impacting the inclusion and retention of WPDs in research. On the basis of a review of the literature and our experience with the Healing Pathways randomized controlled trial (RCT), we present a conceptual model to guide culturally sensitive health research implementation with WPDs, and promote the engagement and retention of this group in RCTs and other forms of interventional health research.

Healing pathways: a program for women with physical disabilities and depression.

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, P < 0.0001, partial η (2) = 0.101. 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.

Invalidation: a central process underlying maltreatment of women with disabilities.

Recent qualitative studies indicate that maltreatment of women with disabilities by health care providers is a serious quality of care issue. To begin to address this problem, we conducted a secondary analysis of data derived from three qualitative studies of abuse of women with disabilities. Findings identified Invalidation as a central process underlying maltreatment. Invalidation was characterized by health care providers Taking Over care, Discounting, Objectifying, and Hurting women with disabilities during health care encounters. These findings highlight the need to educate health care providers about social and interpersonal aspects of disability and address the problem of Invalidation in health care settings.

Understanding care-related abuse and neglect in the lives of women with SCI.

Abuse and neglect of women with spinal cord injury (SCI) is a serious health issue. To begin to understand the nature of this problem an interpretive phenomenological study of abuse of women with SCI was conducted. A sample of 13 women who had experienced abuse post-injury participated in a total of 24 in-depth interviews. Analytic strategies employed included thematic analysis, exemplars, biographical comparisons, and paradigm cases. The analysis yielded four major categories including (a) abuse and neglect-definitions and types, (b) vulnerability factors, (c) behavioral responses to abuse, and (d) health effects. This research report reviews findings from the first category, abuse definitions and types. Findings indicate that care-related forms of abuse and neglect are particularly common in the lives of women with SCI.