Objectives. To determine the effects on balance and gait of a Wii-Fit program compared to a walking program in subjects with mild Alzheimer's dementia (AD). Methods. A prospective randomized (1 : 1) pilot study with two intervention arms was conducted in an assisted living facility with twenty-two mild AD subjects. In both groups the intervention occurred under supervision for 30 minutes daily, five times a week for eight weeks. Repeated measures ANOVA and paired t-tests were used to analyze changes. Results. Both groups showed improvement in Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Tinetti Test (TT) and Timed Up and Go (TUG) over 8 weeks. However, there was no statistically significant difference between the groups over time. Intragroup analysis in the Wii-Fit group showed significant improvement on BBS (P = 0.003), and TT (P = 0.013). The walking group showed a trend towards improvement on BBS (P = 0.06) and TUG (P = 0.07) and significant improvement in TT (P = 0.06). Conclusion. This pilot study demonstrates the safety and efficacy of Wii-Fit in an assisted living facility in subjects with mild AD. Use of Wii-Fit resulted in significant improvements in balance and gait comparable to those in the robust monitored walking program. These results need to be confirmed in a larger, methodologically sound study.

Structural equation modeling techniques were used to test a model of statistics performance based on achievement goal theory. Data were collected after the midterm and final examinations in an introductory statistics course, and models were fit at each time point. Learning goals were positively related to the use of deep-processing strategies and to self-efficacy and were negatively related to test anxiety. Performance goals were positively related to disorganization in study strategies and to test anxiety. Both learning and performance goals affected achievement indirectly through study strategies, self-efficacy, and test anxiety. Use of deep-processing strategies was positively related to effort but displayed an unexpected negative relationship to achievement. Disorganization was a positive predictor of test anxiety. Implications of these findings for teaching and learning statistics are discussed.

An exploratory study was conducted which assessed behaviors that characterize social competence in the second and fifth grades. A contextual approach was used to gather information from second‐ and fifth‐grade children and their parents and teachers regarding the behaviors they perceived to be important for getting along well with peers. Data were gathered from children through structured interviews with the researcher. Parents and teachers provided information through open‐ended paper‐pencil surveys. Qualitative methodology was used to analyze the data in this study. Specifically, a three‐stage coding process derived from grounded theory was utilized (A. Strauss & J. Corbin, 1998). Triangulation, a technique common to qualitative research whereby multiple sources are used to verify themes identified from data, also was used throughout the coding process to enhance standards of rigor (J.W. Creswell, 1998). Results indicated substantial overlap among the types of behaviors reported by children, parents, and teachers in both grades. Likewise, a number of noteworthy similarities and differences were found among second‐ and fifth‐grade sources. Findings are discussed in terms of their implications for social skills assessment and intervention. Limitations and directions for future research also are discussed. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 42: 173–187, 2005.

Background: Depression costs the United States $40 billion annually. Primary care physicians play a key role in the identification and treatment of depression. This study focused on the treatment options recommended by physicians and whether physicians were following the recommended treatment guidelines.Methods: We recorded treatment recommendations by examining charts for all patients with newly detected depression. The patients were from 44 family medicine practitioners and 23 general internal medicine practitioners in a Midwest university medical center setting.Results: For both medical specialties combined, pharmacotherapy was the most widely used intervention (recommended for 52% of patients), whereas psychotherapy alone was the least frequently used intervention (recommended for 4% of patients). Family medicine practitioners recommended combination treatment (pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy) more frequently than did general internal medicine practitioners (P ‫؍‬ .022), and female physicians recommended combination treatment more frequently than did male physicians (P ‫؍‬ .010).Conclusions: Pharmacotherapy was found to be the most widely used treatment despite current evidence-based recommendations. Barriers to effective treatment plan are discussed. The implications for mental health interventions, combination therapy, and cost offset are also discussed.

This program was a first step in preparing individuals for collaborative learning, fostering awareness and enthusiasm for IPE among students and faculty, and demonstrating the feasibility of overcoming common barriers to IPE such as schedule coordination and faculty buy-in.

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Profound changes occur in the process of care with cognitively impaired patients. The increased complexity mandates an expanded model of care that addresses the prominent psychosocial and ethical aspects of care as well as the medical ones.

People living in rural areas are often faced with multiple, complex, and seemingly insurmountable barriers to receiving appropriate treatment for mental health problems. Some of the barriers identified in the research literature include inaccessibility to mental health providers, stigma, and limited resources in the community. Despite existing data regarding rural patients and their families, little is known about their lived, personal experiences. For this reason, the purpose of this study was to determine the experience of patients and family members who are dealing with mental illness in rural communities. Based on this qualitative analysis of patient and family members' experiences in rural areas, issues surrounding mental health and treatment are accompanied by significant stigma, often left unresolved, and exacerbated by practical challenges which hinder access to proper mental health resources, frequently leaving rural residents to cope with inadequate solutions or seek their own, alternative solutions.