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The findings of this qualitative study provide insight into a range of developmental and personal variables that influence whether young adults with cerebral palsy adhere to physiotherapy programs and advice from physiotherapists, with the aim of improving the quality of services offered to such a population. The study participants included young adults with cerebral palsy between the ages of 16 and 25 years who were enrolled in a college devoted to training disabled young adults. They attended focus groups to discuss their experiences of physiotherapy. A constant comparative method was used within the grounded theory approach for the collection and analysis of data. The results demonstrate that the interaction between physiotherapist and young adult is the essential variable, with the relationship formed being built with trust, respect, and empowerment of the participant. This study offered a valuable opportunity for those often considered too vulnerable to participate in research.

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Background Chronic pelvic pain (CPP) in women is persistent, intermittent cyclical and non-cyclical lower abdominal pain, lasting for more than 6 months. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a popular treatment option for women’s health conditions, but little is known about how treatment for CPP is delivered by TCM practitioners. The aim of this survey was to explore practitioners understanding and treatment of women with CPP, and how they integrate their management and care into the health care system. Method An online cross-sectional survey of registered TCM practitioners in Australia and New Zealand. Survey domains included treatment characteristics (e.g. frequency), evaluation of treatment efficacy, referral networks, and sources of information that informed clinical decision making. Results One hundred and twenty-two registered TCM practitioners responded to this survey, 91.7% reported regular treatment of women with CPP. Treatment decisions were most-often guided by a combination of biomedical and TCM diagnosis (77.6%), and once per week was the most common treatment frequency (66.7%) for acupuncture. Meditation (63.7%) and dietary changes (57.8%) were other commonly used approaches to management. The effectiveness of treatment was assessed using multiple approaches, most commonly pain scales, (such as the numeric rating scale) and any change in use of analgesic medications. Limitations to TCM treatment were reported by over three quarters (83.7%) of practitioners, most commonly due to cost (56.5%) and inconvenience (40.2%) rather than safety or lack of efficacy. Integration within the wider healthcare system was common with over two thirds (67.9%) receiving referrals from health care providers. Conclusion TCM practitioners seeing women with various CPP symptoms, commonly incorporate both traditional and modern diagnostic methods to inform their treatment plan, monitor treatment progress using commonly accepted approaches and measures and often as a part of multidisciplinary healthcare for women with CPP.

Having more physical limitations predicts greater depressive symptoms. However, relatively few studies examine self-conceptions as potential explanations for this association. Using ordinary least squares regression on panel data collected in Miami-Dade County, Florida (2001 and 2004, N = 1,362), we examine the effect of functional limitations on five dimensions of the self: self-esteem, mastery, mattering, introspection, and emotional reliance. We find that having more, and increasing, functional limitations diminishes self-esteem and mastery and increases introspection and emotional reliance. These dimensions of the self collectively account for approximately one third of the effect of limitations on depressive symptoms, with self-esteem and mastery having the largest mediating effects. This study builds on prior findings by using panel data to address not only the influence of functional impairment on multiple dimensions of the self-concept but also the role of each in explaining disability’s effect on depressive symptoms. It also responds to the call for the sociology of mental health to give greater attention to self and identity processes.

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