The purpose of this study was to evaluate mothers' and fathers' perception of their child's health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among 10- to 12-year-old Icelandic children with or without chronic health condition or illness. A total of 912 Icelandic parents (510 mothers and 402 fathers) and 480 children (209 boys and 271 girls) participated in…

This study examined the importance of reported sense of coherence (Antonovsky, 1987) in mothers of children with hearing impairment. Sense of coherence was explored as a factor in relation to the experience of stress and subjective life satisfaction and in the context of other relevant variables in coping (e.g., social support, additional…

It has been nearly a decade since the 1996 Surgeon General?s Report (SGR) on "Physical Activity and Health" (United States Department of Health and Human Services [USDHHS], 1996). It is time that people stop and reflect on this historic report and begin the assessment process--are people paying now or will they continue to pay later?…

Background: Family quality of life is a relatively new field of study. Research has primarily concentrated on families of children and young adults with intellectual disability (ID). Method: This project explored the concept of family quality of life from the perspective of older parents who had adult children with ID aged 40. Focus groups,…

This study examines the effects of attending religious revival services on the educational and behavioral outcomes of urban students. Specifically, the influence of attending the most recognized revival of the past decade is analyzed. Urban student attendees from throughout the United States attend, are surveyed, and then are randomly selected to…

This article takes a comprehensive look at the effects of pectus excavatum, a congenital deformity with psychosocial and physical ramifications, and the Nuss procedure on the quality of life of adolescents. The Nuss procedure is a minimally invasive corrective surgery. Twenty-five participants from Calgary, Alberta were interviewed (10 adolescents…

Objective: This study describes medical students' perceptions of the field of psychiatry and identifies the impact of those perceptions on their career choices in order to explore the questions: Are we as a field doing all that we can to enhance the educational experience of all medical students, regardless of their career preferences? What are…

Supporting people with disabilities in expressing preferences and making choices is a core value in positive behavior support. Indeed, in recent years, the field has increasingly focused its attention on the importance of making choices and the potential benefits of choice-making opportunities in enhancing the quality of life of people with…

The American population aged 65 years and older is growing rapidly, creating an increased demand for social workers. Reimbursement structures of Medicare and Medicaid present significant barriers for aging individuals seeking social work services as well as social workers wanting to provide services to the elderly. To build a case for the…

Background: There have been major changes in the provision and organization of services for people with intellectual disabilities in England over the last 30 years, particularly deinstitutionalization and the development of the mixed economy of care. The experiences of the people who participated in the Care in the Community Demonstration…

Background: This study assessed whether a Learning Disability Service should develop a specific autism strategy or provide services on a needs-led basis. Materials and methods: An autism screening questionnaire had been used to identify individuals scoring above a cut-off who had (n = 9) or had not (n = 15) received a formal diagnosis of autism. A…

This article examines the process of identity development in gifted adolescents and provides a theoretical and research-based explanation of its importance for influencing achievement and quality of life in adulthood. Teachers, counselors, and parents can use "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" (Rowling, 1997) as a springboard into discussion…

Children and youth with exceptionalities are at increased risk to be marginalized in their peer group because of their exceptionalities; they are hence more vulnerable to victimization by peers who have higher status and more social power. Research also suggests that children and youth with exceptionalities may be more likely to bully others.…

This study examined how change in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms relates to change in quality of life. The sample consisted of 325 male Vietnam veterans with chronic PTSD who participated in a randomized trial of group psychotherapy. Latent growth modeling was used to test for synchronous effects of PTSD symptom change on…

A longitudinal matched-groups design was used to examine the quality and costs of community-based residential supports to people with mental retardation and challenging behavior. Two forms of provision were investigated: noncongregate settings, where the minority of residents had challenging behavior, and congregate settings, where the majority…