Construction and Validation of a Scale to Assess Social Judgments Toward Sex Work from the Stereotype Content Model.

Sex workers (SW) are subject to social judgment and the associated attitudes, ranging from admiration to contempt. The presence of stereotypical attitudes toward SW is common and can be analyzed using the Stereotype Content Model (SCM), where the concepts of warmth and competence play a central role. The interweaving of both dimensions allows the identification of four emotions and corresponding political positions toward SW: admiration (non-interventionism), pity (abolitionism), contempt (prohibitionism), and fear (regulationism). From the SCM framework, this study offers the construction, validation and performance of a 25-item scale with a snowball sample of 1,543 participants residing in Spanish-speaking countries. The four-factor hypothesized model yielded adequate values. Internal consistency was sufficient on all factors, as was model-based reliability and convergent validity. The scale also showed measurement invariance between gender and age groups, suggesting that the measure is interpreted in a conceptually similar manner by respondents representing different genders or ages. Further analysis revealed that male participants scored significantly higher on admiration. Baby boomers showed less pity and contempt while Millennials showed more fear and less admiration. SW and those who know or work with SW showed less fear and pity and more admiration. The SCM and the process of developing social judgments offer us a way to understand the differences that underlie irreconcilable policy positions. Overcoming these differences requires mutual understanding from scientific frameworks instead of from ideological perspectives.

Performance of a measure to assess distress in bipolar disorder.

INTRODUCTION: Bipolar disorder is a condition that causes distress even for euthymic patients, having an impact on functional capabilities and quality of life. Personal and social variables are potential sources of distress. Yet, there is a lack of measures to identify specific distress in bipolar disorder. This study describes the development and evaluation of a brief measure for assessing distress in patients with bipolar disorder. We also identify associations with related constructs such as functioning, stigma, and personal beliefs regarding mental illness. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We used a sample of 101 euthymic bipolar outpatients. Psychological assessment consisted of the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) and the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAM-D) to establish euthymia. Distress was assessed with Distress on Bipolar Patients-Short (DISBIP-S); associated variables were assessed with the Functioning Assessment Short Scale (FAST), the Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness (ISMI), and the Personal Beliefs about Illness Questionnaire (PBIQ). RESULTS: The DISBIP-S has strong internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha=0.90), and medium-high correlation coefficients with the time since last relapse (r=-0.401), predominant polarity (r=0.309), HDRS (r=-0.644), FAST (r=0.453), ISMI (r=0.789), and PBIQ (r=-0.796). Taken together, the scores on the ISMI, and PBIQ and the time since last relapse together explain 69.2% of the variability in distress. CONCLUSIONS: The DISBIP-S can be used as a first step to develop interventions aimed at dealing with problematic personal beliefs and interpersonal sources of distress. Reducing distress experienced by bipolar disorder patients could help improve their quality of life and daily functioning.

Autistic Adult Services Availability, Preferences, and User Experiences: Results From the Autism Spectrum Disorder in the European Union Survey.

There is very little knowledge regarding autistic adult services, practices, and delivery. The study objective was to improve understanding of current services and practices for autistic adults and opportunities for improvement as part of the Autism Spectrum Disorder in the European Union (ASDEU) project. Separate survey versions were created for autistic adults, carers of autistic adults, and professionals in adult services. 2,009 persons responded to the survey and 1,085 (54%) of them completed at least one of the services sections: 469 autistic adults (65% female; 55% <35 years old), 441 carers of autistic adults (27% female; 6% <35 years old), 175 professionals in adult services (76% female; 67% in non-medical services). Top choices by autistic adults, carers or professionals for services best suiting their current needs were: residential services: "help in own home" (adults, carers of high independent adults, professionals), "fulltime residential facility" (carers of low independent adults); employment services: "job mentors" (adults, carers of high independent adults, professionals), "Sheltered employment" (carers of low independent adults); education services: "support in regular education setting" (all groups); financial services: financial support in lieu of employment ("Supplementary income for persons unable to have full employment" for adults, "full pension" for carers of low independent adults) or to supplement employment earnings for carers of high independent adults and professionals; social services: "behavior training" (adults) and "life skills training" (carers and professionals). Waiting times for specific services were generally < 1 month or 1-3 months, except for residential services which could be up to 6 months; most professionals were uninformed of waiting times (>50% responded "don't know"). Five of seven residential services features recommended for autistic adults were experienced by <50% of adults. The knowledge of good local services models that work well for autistic adults was generally low across all services areas. The variation in services experiences and perceptions reported by autistic adults, carers, or professionals underscore the need to query all groups for a complete picture of community services availability and needs. The results showed areas for potential improvement in autistic adult services delivery in the EU to achieve recommended standards.

Intervention Services for Autistic Adults: An ASDEU Study of Autistic Adults, Carers, and Professionals' Experiences.

The Autism Spectrum Disorders in the European Union (ASDEU) survey investigated local services' use experiences of autistic adults, carers and professionals with interventions for autistic adults. The majority of the 697 participants experienced recommended considerations prior to deciding on intervention and during the intervention plan and implementation. Psychosocial interventions were the most commonly experienced interventions, while pharmacological interventions NOT recommended for core autistic symptoms were reported by fairly large proportions of participants. Family interventions were experienced slightly more commonly by carers than adults or professionals. Less than the 26% of autistic adult responders who had experienced challenging behaviors reported receiving an intervention to change them. These results provide insights for improving gaps in service provision of interventions among autistic adults.

Assessment Tool of Bipolar Disorder for Primary Health Care: The SAEBD.

Mixed states are highly prevalent in patients with bipolar disorder and require comprehensive scales. Considering this, the current study aims to develop a measure to assess the full spectrum of clinical manifestations of bipolar disorder. A sample of 88 patients was evaluated; the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAM-D), Montgomery-Asberg Depression Scale (MADRS), and the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) were applied, together with the preliminary version of the Scale for the Assessment of Episodes in Bipolar Disorder (SAEBD). After analyzing the appropriateness and statistical properties of the items, discriminant analysis and analysis of diagnostic capacity were performed. The discriminant functions correctly classified 100% of the cases in euthymia, predominant depressive symptoms or mixed symptoms, as well as 92.3% of the cases with predominant manic symptoms. Overall, the functions correctly classified 98.9% of the cases. The area under the curve (0.935) showed high capacity to discriminate between clinical and non-clinical cases (i.e., in euthymia). The SAEBD sensitivity was 0.95, specificity was 0.71, the Positive Predictive Value (PPV) was 0.88, the Negative Predictive Value (NPV) was 0.87, the Positive Likelihood Ratio (+LR) was 3.33, and the Negative Likelihood Ratio (-LR) was 0.07. In conclusion, the SAEBD is a promising scale that shows high reliability and validity, as well as diagnostic utility as a screening tool for use in diverse health care settings.

Autistic Adult Health and Professional Perceptions of It: Evidence From the ASDEU Project.

The Autism Spectrum Disorders in the European Union (ASDEU) survey investigated the knowledge and health service experiences of users and providers to generate new hypotheses and scientific investigations that would contribute to improvement in health care for autistic adults. An online survey designed for autistic adults, carers of autistic adults, and professionals in adult services was translated into 11 languages and distributed electronically by organizations and in-country adult service facilities in 2017; 522 autistic adults, 442 carers, and 113 professionals provided answers to the health questions. Professionals, the majority in non-medical services, appeared to be poorly informed about whether certain co-occurring conditions were more frequent in autistic adults than typical adults-especially some medical conditions, suicide attempts, accidents, and pain. A minority of autistic adults reported preventive health behaviors such as routine health check-ups. The majority of users and providers expressed the desire to make health care services more user-friendly for autistic adults. Among the three groups, <20% of responders knew an organization or clinician which has developed a way to monitor health, and prevent poor health, that works well for adults on the autism spectrum. The results point to means for better management of co-occurring conditions associated with autism in adulthood in order to reduce hospital admissions and potential areas of improvement in health and social services for autistic adults. Specifically, efforts should be focused on (1) professionals' education on risks for co-occurring conditions in autistic adults; (2) promoting preventive health behaviors; (3) making services user-friendly for autistic adults and their families; and (4) encouraging knowledge of good local services.

Prevalence of Sexual Abuse in Adults with Intellectual Disability: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

This study presents the results of a systematic review on the prevalence of sexual abuse experienced in adulthood by individuals with intellectual disability. An electronic and manual search of academic journals was performed on four databases via EBSCO Host: Academic Search Complete, PsycINFO, Medline, CINAHL Full-Text. In addition, PubMed, ProQuest, and Web of Science (core collection) were searched. After an initial selection of 1037 documents, 25 articles remained for quantitative synthesis. The combined prevalence of sexual abuse in adults with intellectual disability was 32.9% (95% CI: 22.7-43.0) and sensitivity analysis revealed that the prevalence was not outweighed by a single study. Overall, the United Kingdom had the highest prevalence (r = 34.1%), and the USA had the lowest (r = 15.2%). The overall prevalence in females was lower (r = 31.8%) than that in males (r = 39.9%). Subgroup analyses revealed that prevalence of sexual abuse was higher in institutionalized individuals. The most prevalent profile of abuser is of a peer with intellectual disability. Prevalence increases from mild to severe levels of intellectual disability and decreases in profound levels. It is also more prevalent when the informant is the individual with intellectual disability than when someone else reports abuse. In sum, one in three adults with intellectual disability suffers sexual abuse in adulthood. Special attention should be paid for early detection and intervention in high risk situations.

Assessment of Occupational Health and Job Satisfaction in Workers with Intellectual Disability: A Job Demands-Resources Perspective.

In the contexts where people with intellectual disability work, there are factors that determine their job satisfaction. The objective of this study was to test the adequacy of the central assumptions of the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) theory in workers with intellectual disability employed in different work alternatives. Data from 362 workers in sheltered workshops and 192 workers in supported employment were utilized. The model was contrasted using a structural equation model and a multi-group analysis. The results supported the suitability of the model and confirmed that job demands and job resources evoke two relatively independent processes such as health impairment and motivational process. The multi-group analysis confirmed the invariance of the model between the two work alternatives. Thus, the JD-R model offers a useful framework to explain the job satisfaction of workers with intellectual disability. Implications for the improvement of personal and job results are discussed.

Evidences of an Implemented Training Program in Consensual and Responsible Sexual Relations for People with Intellectual Disabilities.

(1) Background: While there is a growing awareness of the rights of individuals with intellectual disabilities, very limited progress has been made in supporting these people to create and maintain intimate and personal relationships. (2) Methods: This paper reports the results from a program aimed at promoting responsible and consensual sexual relations of adults with intellectual disabilities. Of the 44 participants, 31.8% were women and 68.2% were men aged 22 to 67 years. Pre and post measurements regarding the attitudes toward sexual relations were taken, and difficulty and discrimination indexes were calculated. (3) Results: Statistically significant improvements were identified in the overall measurements, as were they for the domains of privacy, safety, and respect. The difficulty index changed from 0.67 to 0.79 in a pre-post assessment, denoting more positive attitudes. This and other results support the relevance and usefulness of the intervention program and encourage further intervention efforts.

Real-World Experiences in Autistic Adult Diagnostic Services and Post-diagnostic Support and Alignment with Services Guidelines: Results from the ASDEU Study.

Research providing an evidence-base for autistic adult services is sparse. The Autism Spectrum Disorders in the European Union (ASDEU) network implemented an on-line survey to determine gaps in autistic adult diagnostic evaluation and post-diagnostic support services. More than 55% in all groups experienced most of the recommended features for diagnostic evaluation for autistic adults. In contrast, < 2% of adults or carers, and < 21% of professionals experienced each of the recommended features for post-diagnostic support. In contrast to 61% of professionals, only about 30% of autistic adults and carers had knowledge of good local services models for autism diagnosis in adulthood. There are major differences between good practice guidelines for diagnostic and post-diagnostic care for autistic adults, and what is actually experienced by services users and professionals.

Anxiety and Depression in Cyberbullied College Students: A Retrospective Study.

Cyberbullying is a worldwide phenomenon and its effects can be severe. To better understand the personal and situational factors in cyberbullying, we approach it from the perspective of the general aggression model. More specifically, we analyze the medium and long-term impact of past experiences of cyberbullying on university students. We also compare their psychological adjustment with peers who have not been cyberbullied by examining the recall of cyberbullying while attending secondary school of 1,593 university students. Participants from a Spanish University (N = 680) and a Bolivian University (N = 913) were invited to participate by filling in an online survey. It included the School Violence Questionnaire-Revised, CUVE-R, to assess school and classroom climate in relation to bullying and cyberbullying, the Beck Depression Inventory, and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Results show that among the participants, 5.1% reported having suffered cyberbullying and 19.3% reported having been a bystander of cyberbullying, with similar percentages between universities. Canonical correlation suggests that variables related to school climate best explain the variability among participants who have and have not been cyberbullied. Those who have been cyberbullied scored significantly higher on anxiety and depression symptoms as well. Being a bystander of cyberbullying was not associated to significant differences on psychological adjustment (i.e., anxiety and depression). Results indicated that experiencing cyberbullying in secondary school is associated to lower psychological adjustment years later as university students. School climate variables contribute more strongly to identifying victims of cyberbullying. These results support the need for psychosocial interventions from a broader perspective, addressing the different dimensions of this phenomenon and its impact on victims.

Parental Stress and Family Quality of Life: Surveying Family Members of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities.

(1) Background. This study assesses the quality of life in families with a member with an intellectual disability using the Family Adjustment and Adaptation Response framework. (2) Methods. The study included 515 Spanish participants whose family members with disabilities range in age from infancy to adulthood. We hypothesized that it is possible to predict parenting stress by paying attention to the meaning families give to themselves and their circumstances while controlling for the impact of other variables such as family capabilities and characteristics of the family member with disabilities. We used the Beach Center Family Quality of Life Scale and the section on Exceptional needs of medical and behavioral support from the Supports Intensity Scale, together with other potential predictors. The subscale on parental stress from the Parenting Stress Index-Short Form was utilized as a criterion measure. (3) Results. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis revealed that 49% of parental stress was predicted by dysfunctional interaction, difficult behaviors, low emotional wellbeing, poor family interaction, as well as kinship as parents, and the severity of both the medical needs and intellectual disability. (4) Conclusions. The stress experienced by those families is mostly predicted by the meaning they give to themselves and their circumstances. Implications of these findings for service delivery are discussed.

A valid and reliable measure of nothing: disentangling the "Gavagai effect" in survey data.

BACKGROUND: In three recent studies, Maul demonstrated that sets of nonsense items can acquire excellent psychometric properties. Our aim was to find out why responses to nonsense items acquire a well-defined structure and high internal consistency. METHOD: We designed two studies. In the first study, 610 participants responded to eight items where the central term (intelligence) was replaced by the term "gavagai". In the second study, 548 participants responded to seven items whose content was totally invented. We asked the participants if they gave any meaning to "gavagai", and conducted analyses aimed at uncovering the most suitable structure for modeling responses to meaningless items. RESULTS: In the first study, 81.3% of the sample gave "gavagai" meaning, while 18.7% showed they had given it no interpretation. The factorial structures of the two groups were very different from each other. In the second study, the factorial model fitted almost perfectly. However, further analysis revealed that the structure of the data was not continuous but categorical with three unordered classes very similar to midpoint, disacquiescent, and random response styles. DISCUSSION: Apparently good psychometric properties on meaningless scales may be due to (a) respondents actually giving an interpretation to the item and responding according to that interpretation, or (b) a false positive because the statistical fit of the factorial model is not sensitive to cases where the actual structure of the data does not come from a common factor. In conclusion, the problem is not in factor analysis, but in the ability of the researcher to elaborate substantive hypotheses about the structure of the data, to employ analytical procedures congruent with those hypotheses, and to understand that a good fit in factor analysis does not have a univocal interpretation and is not sufficient evidence of either validity nor good psychometric properties.

Understanding social withdrawal in euthymic bipolar patients: The role of stigma.

Social withdrawal acts as a risk factor in mental health, disturbing clinical management and quality of life in euthymic bipolar patients. However, no previous study has analyzed what variables might predict it. We conducted a cross-sectional study in which 49 euthymic bipolar patients were assessed. The analysis showed that taken together, stereotype endorsement, discrimination experience and control over illness as measured by the ISMI, together explained 80.4% of the variability in social withdrawal. In conclusion, an early assessment of self-stigma and perception of control over illness would help euthymic patients to improve their social situation, reducing social withdrawal.

Mediating effect of social support on the relationship between resilience and burden in caregivers of people with dementia.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined different predictive factors of burden in a sample of family caregivers of patients with dementia (PWD). In particular, the influence of social support and resilience on burden was tested, considering potential mediation effects. METHODS: A total of 283 primary and family caregivers in Spain were evaluated using a standardized protocol to assess sociodemographic characteristics, clinical state of PWD and specific variables of caregiving and care providers. RESULTS: The role of caregiver of PWD was more common in women, reporting significantly higher levels of burden than men. Resilience and social support accounted for most of the variance in burden. Furthermore, social support partially mediated the relationship between resilience and burden in caregivers. CONCLUSIONS: Caregivers' resilience and social support are protective factors against burden in caregivers of PWD. Both factors should be considered for tailored interventions aimed at reducing the health costs of burden in this population.

Alteraciones en funciones cognitivas en mujeres maltratadas: revisión sistemática y meta-análisis / Alterações nas funções cognitivas em mulheres maltratadas: revisão sistemática e meta-análise / Alterations in cognitive functions in battered women: systematic review and meta-analysis

El presente estudio ha tenido como objetivo realizar una revisión sistemática y meta-análisis sobre alteraciones en funciones cognitivas en mujeres maltratadas. Se ha contado con una muestra inicial de 643 registros obtenidos de las bases de datos: Medline, ERIC, PsycInfo, CNAIL, Proquest y Scielo. Su análisis llevó a la retención de 12 artículos sobre los que se ha centrado el estudio. Los resultados de la síntesis cualitativa indican que la atención, lenguaje, memoria, habilidades visoespaciales, función ejecutiva, velocidad motora y rendimiento educativo se encuentran alteradas en las mujeres maltratadas, con mayor evidencia de deterioro en las áreas de atención, memoria y funciones ejecutivas. Los resultados del meta-análisis sugieren presencia de daño cerebral en estas mujeres y una especial afectación de la memoria y funciones ejecutivas. Estos resultados avalan la existencia de alteraciones en funciones cognitivas en las mujeres que han sido víctimas de maltrato.

O objetivo deste estudo foi realizar uma revisão sistemática e meta-análise das alterações nas funções cognitivas em mulheres agredidas. Para arealização do estudo, foi utilizada uma amostra inicial de 643 registos nas bases de dados: Medline, ERIC, PsycInfo, CNAIL, Proquest e Scielo. O procedimentode seleção levou à retenção de 12 artigos nos quais o estudo se centrou. Os resultados da síntese qualitativa indicam que a atenção, a linguagem, a memória, as habilidades visuoespaciais, a função executiva, a velocidade motora e o desempenho educacional estão alterados em mulheres agredidas, com maior evidência de deterioração nas áreas de atenção, memória e funções executivas.Os resultados da meta-análise sugerem a presença de dano cerebral nessas mulheres e um comprometimento especial da memória e das funções executivas. Estes resultados sustentam a existência de alterações nas funções cognitivas das mulheres vítimas de abuso.

The present study aimed to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis on alterations in cognitive functions in battered women. We selected an initial sample of 643 records obtained from the databases: Medline, ERIC,PsycInfo, CNAIL, Proquest and Scielo. Following the study selection procedureled to the retention of 12 articles on which the study has focused. The results of the qualitative synthesis indicate that attention, language, memory, visuospatial skills, executive function, motor speed and educational performance are altered in battered women, with greater evidence of deterioration in the areas of attention, memory and executive functions. The results of the meta-analysis suggest presence of brain damage in these women and a special affectation of the memory and executive functions. These results support the existence of alterations in cognitive functions in women who have been victims of abuse.

Quality of life in euthymic bipolar patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Patients with bipolar disorder, even euthymic, could suffer an impairment in their quality of life compared to healthy controls. Since no previous systematic review and meta-analysis has been conducted, the aim of the current study is to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of cross-sectional case-controlled studies on quality of life in adult euthymic Bipolar Disorder patients. METHODS: A systematic review and meta-analysis that followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) was conducted. Major electronic databases were searched on August 2018 to assess the variables associated with quality of life in euthymic bipolar disorder patients. After selecting case-control studies, data collection, quality assessment and subsequently statistical analysis were done. RESULTS: 66 studies were finally selected for systematic review and meta-analysis. Four different quality of life instruments were used among the different studies. Effect size analysis showed that there were significant differences in quality of life outcomes between euthymic bipolar disorder patients and healthy controls (d=-0.922; SE=0.316; 95%CI=-1.541--0.303; p=.004), with lower quality of life in the euthymic patients. Furthermore, time since euthymia explained 15.62% of variability, and age of control group explained 29.6% of variability. No other moderators were statiscally significant. LIMITATIONS: The instruments used were heterogeneous. Moreover, the role of other clinical moderators could not be included due to the lack of this information in most of the articles. CONCLUSIONS: Quality of life is lower in euthymic bipolar patients than in healthy controls. However, longer time in euthymia is associated with better outcomes.

Marital Satisfaction in Spanish and Dominican Couples / Satisfacción Marital en Parejas Españolas y Dominicanas

Abstract Marriage is an appreciated worldwide institution, although nearly half of first marriages end in divorce. Thus, the relevance of understanding how people choose their partners and what features can predict a satisfactory relationship. More specifically, in search of data supporting similarity or complementarity approaches on marital satisfaction, the current study analyzes the association between different assortative mating options (homogamy, and heterogamy) and marital satisfaction in Spanish and Dominican couples. A stratified quota sampling of 600 participants was selected, corresponding to 300 married couples (50% Spanish and 50% Dominicans). Data were gathered by means of an interview with the 10-item scale on Marital Satisfaction and a 7-item scale on Status. Results suggest that spouses are matched by similarity in their health and education and by the perception of similarity in intelligence and the financial advantages of staying together. Dominican couples experienced higher marital satisfaction than Spanish couples. Findings on hypergamy reveals the persistence of some traditional roles' distribution among Spanish speaking cultures. The association between status and marital satisfaction revealed that heterogamy rather than homogamy is associated to such satisfaction. These results stress the relevance of taking into account social and cultural differences, beyond biological and psychological factors, to fully understand couples' satisfaction.

Resumen El matrimonio es una institución apreciada a nivel mundial, pese a que casi la mitad de los primeros matrimonios terminan en divorcio. De ahí la importancia de comprender cómo las personas eligen a sus parejas y qué factores contribuyen a predecir una relación satisfactoria. Más concretamente, en busca de datos que ofrezcan apoyo a los enfoques de semejanza o de complementariedad en su relación con la satisfacción marital, el presente estudio analiza diferentes alternativas de emparejamiento selectivo (homogamia y heterogamia) y su relación con dicha satisfacción marital en parejas españolas y dominicanas. Para llevar a cabo el estudio se ha empleado un muestreo estratificado por cuotas compuesto por un total de 600 participantes, que se corresponden con 300 parejas casadas (un 50% procedente de España y el otro 50% procedente de República Dominicana). Los datos se recogieron a través de entrevista la escala de 10 ítems de Satisfacción Marital y la escala de 7 ítems de Status. Los resultados sugieren que los emparejamientos se caracterizan por la semejanza en salud, formación, inteligencia, y por la percepción compartida de las ventajas económicas asociadas a su permanencia. Las parejas dominicanas experimentan una mayor satisfacción marital que las españolas. Los resultados obtenidos sobre hipergamia revelan la persistencia de una distribución de roles tradicional en países de habla hispana. La asociación entre estatus y satisfacción marital indicaron que la heterogamia más que la homogamia, se asocia a tal satisfacción. Todos estos resultados subrayan la importancia de tener en cuenta diferencias sociales y culturales, además de factores biológicos y psicológicos, para comprender plenamente la satisfacción en las parejas.

E-Health Interventions for Adult and Aging Population With Intellectual Disability: A Review.

To answer the question about which e-health and e-therapy applications are being used with people with intellectual disabilities, we searched the PsycINFO, Medline, PubMed, ERIC, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane databases. This is an extensive search. Inclusion criteria were academic journals and any design type that addressed the topic of interest. Studies that do not include adults or elderly, and studies that do not focus on people with disabilities but on third parties, were excluded. After an initial selection of 515 articles, 32 full-text articles were subjected to in-depth analysis leading to the final selection of 18 articles. We used the AAID framework definition of intellectual disability to analyze the dimensions explored by the selected studies and found that the majority of studies focused on the use of technology as supports to instrumental activities of daily life. The ISO classification of assistive products allowed us to identify that many e-health products are aimed at providing psychological or medical treatment. In summary, this review suggests that there is a very small number of studies focusing on the use of technology by older persons with intellectual disabilities. The studies present substantial limitations regarding generalization and replication and pay little attention to the maintenance of cognitive abilities in this population. These aspects, together with premature aging generally associated with many conditions that lead to intellectual disability, underscore the need to pay more attention to and develop e-health interventions for cognitive stimulation for this group.

Resilience and social support as protective factors against abuse of patients with dementia: A study on family caregivers.

OBJECTIVE: Scientific literature has identified different vulnerability factors associated to abuse in people with dementia (PWD), but little is known about the psychosocial protective variables against abuse. The main objective of this study is to investigate a set of caregiver and patient factors linked to abuse-related behavior of PWD. METHODS: A total of 326 primary and family caregivers, residents of the Castilla and León community (Spain), were evaluated. All participants filled out a standardized protocol, which assessed the sociodemographic characteristics, patient and care-related variables, as well as the perceived burden, resilience, and social support. Abuse-related behavior was evaluated using the Caregiver Abuse Screen. RESULTS: Results show that the severity of cognitive impairment and behavior disorders of PWD, a greater number of caregiving hours, a worse previous relationship with the caregiver, and perceived burden are positively related with abuse. However, resilience and social support showed a negative relationship with Caregiver Abuse Screen scores, suggesting a protective effect on abuse, even after controlling the effect of a number of covariates. Indeed, resilience was the only variable that remained significant after including the effect of burden. CONCLUSIONS: This paper states the role of burden in abuse of PWD, while resilience and social support are abuse protective factors. These variables should be considered in future guidelines for the prevention of abuse against PWD.