BackgroundFor families with adolescent children, the transition to adulthood is usually challenging. This period may be extra demanding for families with a child with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities due to the child's strong and persistent support needs. To support these families during this phase and to facilitate the transition process of these adolescents, we adapted the Canadian skills for growing up (SGU) into the skills for growing up-profound intellectual and multiple disabilities (SGU-PIMD). The aim of this study is to determine its content validity.MethodA Delphi study with family members and healthcare professionals was conducted.ResultsResults showed good content validity. However, the Delphi panel suggested minor adjustments to improve relevance, comprehensibility and comprehensiveness.ConclusionsThe current SGU-PIMD can be used in practice for supporting adolescents with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities. However, there are also recommendations for research into the feasibility and acceptability of the instrument.
DOCUMENT
Building on burgeoning research in the field of arts and health, this article explores the role that learning musical instruments can play in enhancing wellbeing in older adulthood. Despite an increasing focus on the role of learning in supporting mental wellbeing, there is strikingly little research that examines this in relation to music, or that explores wellbeing as a subjective phenomenon captured through mixed-methods enquiry. This research addresses this gap through two inter-related studies. Study 1 adopts questionnaire measures of wellbeing with 98 music-learning and comparison participants, concluding that learning in older adulthood offers significant wellbeing benefits, with music particularly enhancing some health-promoting behaviours. To explore in more detail what learning music means to older adults, Study 2 adopts qualitative methods with a sub-group of 21 music-learning participants, concluding that learning music can enhance subjective wellbeing through six mechanisms: (1) subjective experiences of pleasure; (2) enhanced social interactions; (3) musically-nuanced engagement in day-to-day life; (4) fulfilment of musical ambition; (5) ability to make music; and (6) self-satisfaction through musical progress. Drawing the two studies together, the article concludes by arguing for further research to contribute to the growing body of evidence placing music learning at the centre of healthy ageing agendas.
LINK
There is a lack of knowledge about families raising adolescents with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities (PIMD) during the transition to adulthood. This study explores the experiences and support needs of these families throughout this transition. A qualitative design was used, consisting of semi-structured interviews with mothers (N = 10) of children aged 10 to 23 with PIMD. The interviews were analyzed via a coding scheme based on a theoretical framework for family quality of life (FQOL) and stages of adolescence. Positive and negative experiences and distinct support needs were examined in the FQOL domains and stages of adolescence. These families have a unique need for information on development and participation opportunities for children with PIMD, and how to support them. Other needs and experiences expressed, such as dealing with hormonal changes and with being transferred from paediatric to adult care services, were consistent with other families with support needs. The obtained knowledge can be used to improve support for families with an adolescent child with PIMD. In addition, future research in this area is recommended and should be grounded in a family-centred, strengths-based, longitudinal approach.
DOCUMENT
Worldwide, a third of all adults is suffering from feelings of loneliness, with a peak at young adulthood (15-25 years old). Loneliness has serious consequences for mental and physical health and should therefore be urgently addressed. However, existing interventions targeting loneliness mainly focus on older adults [1], and rarely consider the physical living environment, while studies prove that the physical environment (e.g. amenities, green, walkability, liveliness) has a significant impact on loneliness. Collaboration between the psychosocial and physical domains is key, to gain insight into the mechanisms and pathways linking characteristics of the physical living environment and loneliness among young adults and which spatial interventions are effective in managing loneliness. The main research questions are thus: how are physical environment and loneliness related, and which interventions should be implemented? The I BELONG proposal aims to build a European consortium that will address these questions. WP1 encompasses collaboration and networking activities that will form the basis for future collaboration, for instance a European research grant application. WP2 will provide insight in the pathways linking spatial attributes and loneliness. This will be achieved by doing a systematic literature review, a photovoice and interview study to collect data on specific locations that affect young people’s experiences with loneliness, and Group Model Building with experts. Building on this, WP3 aims to co-create spatial interventions with partners and young adults, and test ‘proof of concept’ interventions with virtual environments among young adults. WP3 will result in a spatial intervention toolkit. This project has both societal and scientific impact, as it will provide knowledge on pathways between physical environment characteristics and feelings of loneliness among young people, evidence of what spatial interventions work, and design guidelines that can be used in urban design and management that can contribute to managing loneliness and related health risks.
Sport injuries are a major reason for reduced participation and drop-out from sports and PE. Refraining from sport participation has negative bearing effects on mental and physical wellbeing, which tracks into adulthood. It is therefore important for youth to be facilitated into lifelong active participation in physical activity and sport, as the importance of physical activity for the health of youth is undisputed. Participation in physical education (PE) classes and membership of sports clubs and are essential for health enhancing physical activity. Despite the importance of sports injury prevention in youth, no broad scale approaches that work in real-life situations with significant positive effects exist. Main reasons for this are very poor uptake and maintenance of current sports injury prevention exercises. Sportscoaches and physical educators experience these exercises as not context specific, time consuming and not contributing to their training goals. Whereas youth perceives these exercises as not attractive, no fun and without any play or game component. These aspects cause lack of maintenance and thus no significant reduction of injuries. Recent scientific and practical insights promote more emphasis on motivation through autonomy and attractive exercise routines based on principles of motor learning which can be integrated in regular training sessions or physical education classes. Purpose: Therefore, the Move Healthy project develops ICT based support video material of routines for and with physical educators and sport coaches, which supports them to prevent sports injuries in youth. This material should be easy to integrate in regular training sessions or physical education classes.
