title: Evaluation of a decision-making curriculum designed to empower women with mental retardation to resist abuse.
abstract: The effectiveness of an abuse-prevention curriculum, designed to empower women with mental retardation to become effective decision-makers able to protect themselves against abuse was examined. Thirty-six women with mental retardation were randomly assigned to either an intervention or a control group. Results indicate that the performance of the women in the intervention group was superior to that of the women in the control group on measures of knowledge, decision-making, and empowerment but not on a measure of stress management. The findings suggest that women with mental retardation can acquire effective decision-making strategies and apply them to situations of abuse in their lives.
authors.affiliation: Long Island University, C. W. Post Campus, Long Island, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Ishita
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Khemka
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hickson
authors.forename: Gillian
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Reynolds
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001521:Behavior Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D003657:Decision Making; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability; D008875:Middle Aged; D011209:Power, Psychological; D012114:Residential Treatment; D012742:Sex Offenses / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013179:Spouse Abuse / Q000517:prevention & control*