title: Ameliorating Psychosocial Risk Among Mothers with Intellectual Impairment.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to pilot a flexible, group-based program designed to strengthen the social connections and enhance the psychological well-being of mothers with intellectual impairment. A multi-site, mixed-method, pretest-posttest design was employed. To obtain rich process and outcome data, the evaluation incorporated measures of psychosocial well-being, goal achievement scaling, and interviews with group facilitators and participants. A total of 18 mothers completed the program. Participation was associated with a meaningful reduction in psychological distress with effect sizes ranging from .57 for depression to .71 for anxiety. Participating in the group program gave the mothers something to look forward to each week, opportunities to learn from and support others, and the feeling of "being a part of society". Further research is needed to determine whether these promising results can be replicated, and to evaluate the long-term impact of the program on mothers and their children.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta, 3-66 Corbett Hall, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2G4, Canada. david.mcconnell@ualberta.ca.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: McConnell
authors.affiliation: Centre for Applied Disability Studies, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Maurice
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Feldman
authors.affiliation: CIUSSS de l'Ouest-de-l'Île-de-Montréal (ODIM), Montreal, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: Marjorie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aunos
authors.affiliation: CIUSSS de l'Ouest-de-l'Île-de-Montréal (ODIM), Montreal, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pacheco
authors.affiliation: Family and Disability Studies Initiative, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
authors.forename: Amber
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Savage
authors.affiliation: Family and Disability Studies Initiative, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
authors.forename: Lyndsey
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hahn
authors.affiliation: Family and Disability Studies Initiative, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
authors.forename: Camille
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dube
authors.affiliation: Family and Disability Studies Initiative, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chenier
authors.affiliation: Family and Disability Studies Initiative, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
authors.forename: Elly
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003863:Depression / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012934:Social Isolation; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000517:prevention & control
keywords: Community participation; Intellectual impairment; Mothers; Social isolation