The Effectiveness of a Multidisciplinary Group Rehabilitation Program on the Psychosocial Functioning of Elderly People Who Are Visually Impaired

Introduction: The pilot study reported here determined the effectiveness of a multidisciplinary group rehabilitation program, Visually Impaired Elderly Persons Participating (VIPP), on psychosocial functioning. Methods: The single-group pretest-posttest pilot study included 29 persons with visual impairments (aged 55 and older) who were referred to a low-vision rehabilitation center. The VIPP intervention (20 weekly meetings) consisted of four components (practical training; education, social interaction, counseling, and training in problem-solving skills; individual and group goal setting; and a home-based exercise program). Psychosocial adaptation to vision loss, helplessness, self-efficacy, mental health, and fear of falling were used as indicators of psychosocial functioning and were assessed at the baseline, halfway, immediately after completion of the intervention, and at the six-month follow-up. Results: Directly after the intervention, the participants' adaptation to vision loss (ES = 0.57), self-efficacy (ES = 0.50), and mental health (ES = 0.39) improved compared to the baseline. Moreover, helplessness and a generic and vision-specific fear of falling decreased (ES = 0.26, ES = 0.20, and ES = 0.24, respectively). The six-month follow-up measure indicated improved adaptation to vision loss (ES = 0.54), a lesser feeling of helplessness (ES = 0.53), better mental health (ES = 0.22), and a lesser vision-specific fear of falling (ES = 0.27). In contrast, a decrease in self-efficacy (ES = 0.14) and an increase in the generic fear of falling (ES = 0.18) were found. Discussion: The tentative conclusion of this small-scale pilot study is that the VIPP program benefits psychosocial functioning in both the short and long term. Implications for practitioners: The study showed that low-vision rehabilitation centers could implement multidisciplinary group rehabilitation programs, such as VIPP, to improve the psychosocial functioning of elderly people who are visually impaired

Families with an epileptic child 1976-1981

The impact of an epileptic child on family life. P0847a: both father and mother of epileptic child interviewed: medical history of child, detailed descriptions of epileptic attacks and medical treatment / relation between parents and epileptic child, feelings, extra protection, permissiveness / behaviour of child, disturbance of family life / consequences of epilepsy at school / reactions of other children, neighbours etc. to child / character and social behaviour of child / school history: special schools, performance / expectations and wishes regarding future of child: occupational career, marriage. P0847b: school career, course of epilepsy, medication. Background variables: residence/ household characteristics/ occupation/employment/ income/capital assets/ education/ religio

Apparatus for the study of ionic emission from clean metal surfaces upon ion bombardment (including critical review on ion reflection)

het werk dat in dit proefschrift wordt beschreven heeft primair betrekking op de bouw en het testen van apparatuur benodigd voor de bestudering van de ionenreflectie en secundaire ionenemissie van atomair schone en relatief vlakke en onbeschadigde monokristallijne metaaloppervlakken tijdens bombardement met edelgasionen in het energiegebied beneden de 10 KeV. ... Zie: Samenvatting

Kinderen met epilepsie : een onderzoek naar de invloed van een ziekte op kind en gezin

An investigation of the influence of an illness on the child and its family. The chief aim of this study has been to acquire a better insight into the functioning of a child aged 10-12 suffering from epilepsy and of the functioning of its family. To investigate this problem, a matched sample design (individual matching) has been used. Mothers as well as fathers (both of the epileptic and matched control children) have been interviewed separately and intensively. ... Zie: Summary