title: Depressive symptoms in women with physical disabilities: identifying correlates to inform practice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine correlates of depressive symptomatology in a sample of women with diverse physical disabilities to inform practice of modifiable risk factors that warrant attention and intervention.
  
  
  METHODS
  Interview survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  Outpatient chronic care clinics.
  
  
  METHODS
  Racially and ethnically diverse women (N=415) aged 18 to 64 years living with physical disabilities.
  
  
  METHODS
  Not applicable.
  
  
  METHODS
  Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Depressive symptoms were high with more than half the women exceeding an established cutoff for clinically significant depressive symptomatology. In hierarchical multiple regression analyses, demographic, disability, and health variables explained significant variance in depressive symptoms; however, modifiable variables (pain interference, social support, abuse) contributed significantly to depression scores over and above demographic, disability, and health variables. Analyses examining predictors of depression classification revealed similar findings.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Depression is a significant problem for many women with physical disabilities. Modifiable contributors to depressive symptoms may provide intervention opportunities for researchers and clinicians. Clinicians need to attend closely to pain, particularly perceptions of pain interference; social support and social isolation; and abuse among women with physical disabilities. It may be valuable to include pain self-management, social networking and social skill development, and safety and abuse prevention training when designing depression intervention programs for this population.
authors.affiliation: Spinal Cord Injury and Disability Research Center, The Institute of Rehabilitation and Research-Memorial Herman, Houston, TX; Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Center for Research on Women with Disabilities, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX. Electronic address: susanrw@bcm.edu.
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Robinson-Whelen
authors.affiliation: Spinal Cord Injury and Disability Research Center, The Institute of Rehabilitation and Research-Memorial Herman, Houston, TX; Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX.
authors.forename: Heather B
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.affiliation: Rural Institute on Disabilities, University of Montana, Missoula, MT.
authors.forename: Rosemary B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Hughes
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Center for Research on Women with Disabilities, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX.
authors.forename: Margaret A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Nosek
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006233:Persons with Disabilities; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D016015:Logistic Models; D017533:Marital Status; D008875:Middle Aged; D008913:Minority Groups; D010146:Pain / Q000453:epidemiology; D010147:Pain Measurement; D012934:Social Isolation; D012944:Social Support; D014754:Violence; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: CES-D; Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale; Depression; Disabled persons; Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey; Rehabilitation; SF-36; WWPD; Women; women with physical disabilities