Each child with a disability deserves the support required to achieve their maximum physical potential, optimal participation and an active lifestyle throughout their lifespan. In this paper, we aim to highlight past successes, present work and share a vision for future advancements in robotic gait technologies that enable walking in children and youth with severe physical disabilities. We will summarize work which demonstrates how a robotic walker with a lift and body weight support system has shown great promise in mobilization, exercise and participation in youth and young adults with Cerebral Palsy (CP). This study was conducted in 3 phases; 1) a case study, 2) a pilot study evaluating mobility in a clinical setting, and 3) a study focusing on training and participation in a community setting. Secondly, we will describe the planned assessment of the Trexo Plus, a walker and wearable lower extremity robotic device combination, in younger children with significant physical involvement secondary to CP. This device allows precise repetition of normal gait patterns while controlling range of motion at the hip, knee and ankle. Lastly, we will highlight international innovative robotic work which has produced a novel robotic platform with a partial body weight support system (PBWS), active system for adapting hip height and an exoskeleton with joint motion control. A multimodal human-robot interface (MHRI) accompanies the unique walker system which assesses intent to move, posture and balance and gait patterns. This system has the potential to allow therapists to construct and precisely evaluate unique robot facilitated programming. There is a new generation of robotic devices providing the means for individuals with CP to walk independently. With a look to the future, we endeavour to evaluate and facilitate the development of this robotic technology as it is integrated into clinical care, activity enhancement and community participation.
Background Professional world nowadays is very competitive, and surviving the cutthroat competition while sustaining work-related stress and pressure is an important task for employees. Professionals are required to meet daily and monthly objectives and may encounter work-related stressors. Purpose The study aims to explore occupational stress among middle-aged professionals in the age range of 45–60 years from the marketing, banking, and teaching sectors. Methods A total sample of 180 consented middle-aged professionals in the age range of 45–60 years from the banking, teaching, and marketing sectors were included in the study using a purposive and snowball sampling technique. Professionals having serious medical or psychiatric conditions and undergoing treatment for the same were excluded. The Occupational Stress Index was administered to assess different types of occupational stressors. The statistical analysis was done using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 20 software. A descriptive analysis and a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to get meaningful results. Results Results revealed that 40% of the middle-aged professionals reported experiencing minimal levels of occupational stress, followed by 32.2% experiencing moderate levels and 27.8% experiencing high levels of occupational stress. Additionally, it was found that a significantly higher percentage (91.6%) of banking professionals reported low levels of occupational stress compared to their counterparts. Eighty percent of marketing professionals reported experiencing high levels of occupational stress, whereas a majority (73.3%) of teaching professionals reported moderate levels of occupational stress. Conclusion Occupational stress with different severity levels is found to be common among middle-aged professionals, which is a risk factor to develop mental health problems and affects well-being. Large-scale primary and secondary interventions are required to manage stress and facilitate professional growth and development in India.
Families of children with disabilities often experience high levels of stress associated with taking care of a child with disability. The perceived stress by the caregivers may often lead to negative outcomes in day-to-day functioning for caregivers themselves as well as the child. Mindfulness as an element of consciousness has been acknowledged to promote positivity and well-being among individuals. It is a mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations. This chapter focuses on the application of mindfulness-based therapies for caregivers (parents) of children with cerebral palsy. This chapter also entails in detail therapeutic techniques like Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), its in-depth description, background, and applications as an effective approach for the intervention of caregivers.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.