Group Therapy Program for Women With Physical Disabilities

Overview

More women with disabilities (30%) report "feelings such as sadness, unhappiness, or depression that prevent them from being active" compared to women without disabilities (8%). The contexts of the lives of WPD, which often include high rates of poverty, architectural and attitudinal barriers, and higher vulnerability to violence and abuse, contribute to this mental health disparity. To help address this disparity, the overall goals of this pilot study are to: 1)1. Develop a cognitive behavioral group therapy intervention to address the specific needs of WPD who experience depressive symptoms; and 2. Pilot-test the intervention to preliminarily evaluate its efficacy using a mixed-methods approach. The proposed and revised study outcomes were derived from our previous work with WPD as well as from feedback obtained from community meetings conducted since our last submission of this proposal. A pilot of the modified intervention with a total of 90 participants will be conducted using a using a wait list control design. The decision to use a wait list control design was made jointly with our community partners to ensure that all WPD participating in the study have access to the intervention.

The project will use a longitudinal mixed method research design. Phase I will utilize focus groups conducted with WPD to support development of the group therapy program. Phase II will evaluate the efficacy of the intervention using a randomized design. Measures to protect human subjects include development of detailed safety and referral protocols including 24 hour access to emergency mental health assessment and intervention as needed.