|
Written by Jenny Decker RN
|
|
A young boy, 15 years old, in Missouri has organized a Buddy Walk for his community as part of his Eagle Project for the Boy Scouts of America. Matt Jedlinski began planning in July for the walk. He states,”My mom’s best friend actually has a daughter with Down syndrome, so it really came to my attention. A lot of people around this area build something, but I’ve always wanted to do something different for my project. I really wanted to reach out and help people in the community.”
The Buddy Walk turned out to be a great success, much to Jedlinksi’s surprise. Jedlinski reports that the feeling inside is great and rewarding. Claire Watson, the president of Heartland Down Syndrome Association made it clear that the walk is not a fundraiser, it is only to raise awareness and build respect, writes the Southeast Missourian.
According to WebMD, Down syndrome is a genetic problem. It occurs before birth. The child with Down syndrome has specific features, such as a flat face and short neck, with slanting eyes, small ears, and a small mouth. The child may have weak muscles and loose joints. Below average intelligence is part of the syndrome. Sadly, children with Down’s often have heart, intestine, ear, or breathing problems.
There are certain risk factors that put a baby at higher risk for Down syndrome. A mother who is over 35, a father who is over 40, and a brother or sister with Down syndrome. A woman can elect to have certain tests during pregnancy to screen for Down’s. A simple blood test and an ultrasound can help determine the presence of Down’s. However, the blood test can give a false-positive.
Raising a child with Down syndrome can be a very rewarding experience. Oftentimes, these children are the most happy, loving children around. One can feel their contagious smiles, hugs and love for life. The Buddy Walk is an excellent way to raise awareness and bring attention to Down Syndrome. Jenny Decker RN |
|
|
Written by Daniel Ko
|
|
Philadelphia–Depressed seniors who believe their life is guided by a larger spiritual force have significantly fewer symptoms of depression than those who do not use religious coping strategies. Moreover, this relationship is independent of the amount of social support those individuals receive, according to results of a prospective study presented at the 2002 annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association.
"This is a pretty remarkable study–and when you see these kind of data coming out from both medical and psychiatric populations, it’s hard to continue ignoring religion as a variable in the recovery from depression," said Harold G. Koenig, MD, associate professor of psychiatry and of medicine at Duke University Medical Center, Durham, N.C.
According to study author Hayden Bosworth, PhD, attempts in the literature to distinguish the effects of religion from the effects of social support on depression have led to mixed success (Husaini BA et al. Int J Aging Hum Dev 1999;48:63-72). Dr. Bosworth, associate director, health services research and development, Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and his colleagues attempted to address the issue by examining the effects of religious practices, coping mechanisms and social support on recovery among individuals diagnosed with major depression.
The research team assessed all patients (n=114; average age, 67.5 years) using the Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) at baseline and at the end of six months. They also asked each patient about the extent of their religious practices and religious coping (Table).
The results indicated that higher patient-reported levels of religious practice correlated with significantly lower MADRS scores at baseline (P <0.02), after adjusting for covariates such as social support. However, the analysis of 90 patients at the six-month follow-up showed that religious practice did not significantly predict lower MADRS scores after adjusting for other factors (P <0.08).
|
|
Read more...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Page 5 of 152 |
