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The independent predictive power of fatigue for community integration has not been investigated, although there is an increasing amount of literature that recognizes the importance of fatigue in people with stroke. To examine the correlation between community integration and fatigue, walking endurance, and fear of falling; and to quantify the relative contribution of fatigue to community integration in people with stroke. This was a cross-sectional study with 75 community-dwelling people with stroke. Data were collected using the Community Integration Measure (CIM), Fatigue Assessment Scale (FAS), 6-minute walk test (6MWT), and Survey of Activities and Fear of Falling in the Elderly (SAFE). Multiple linear regressions (forced entry method) were used to quantify the relative power of the FAS score to predict community integration in a model covering distance in the 6MWT and the SAFE score. After controlling for age, the CIM score significantly correlated with the scores for FAS (r=-0.48, p < 0.001), 6MWT distance (r = 0.24, p = 0.039), and SAFE (r=-0.39, p = 0.001). The entire model, including age, FAS score, 6MWT distance, and SAFE score, explained 26.1% of the variance in the CIM scores (F [4, 70] = 7.52, p < 0.001). The FAS scores independently explained 10.6% of the variance in the CIM scores. This study suggests that fatigue is an independent predictor of community integration among people with stroke, taking into account walking endurance and fear of falling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to assess the knowledge and attitudes toward recovering citizenship (RC)/5 Rs and mental illness of people aged ≥18 years in Hong Kong using a telephone survey approach. Design/methodology/approach: A questionnaire comprised the Mental Health Knowledge Schedule (MAKS), Short Form-Community Attitudes Toward Mental Illness (SF-CAMI) and questions on attitudes toward RC/5 Rs, was administered on the phone. Findings: A total of 1,009 respondents completed the telephone survey. A high mean score of MAKS (4.37 ± 1.08) was found with 68%–94% answering the knowledge items correctly. The mean score of SF-CAMI was 46.50 ± 8.74 with the most positive attitude toward fear and exclusion. Approximately half had heard about a similar concept of RC and 79%–94.3% agreed with people in recovery to possess the 5 Rs. Those with greater knowledge or more positive toward mental illness, or knowing someone in recovery were more supportive toward 5 Rs. Those aged 18–44 years, attained a post-secondary education, were employed, and received a monthly income of US$3,861–6,434 were significantly more positive toward 5 Rs. Originality/value: To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study assessing the views of RC of people in the community. The sample had a good knowledge of mental illness but recognition of recovery from mental illness and a sympathetic view toward people in recovery can be further improved. Besides promotion programs, dissemination of the concept of RC and having people in recovery take up valued roles in the community could potentially facilitate the acceptance of social inclusion and acceptance in the community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: For people with schizophrenia living in the community and receiving outpatient care, the issues of stigma and discrimination and dearth of recovery-oriented services remain barriers to recovery and community integration. The experience of self-stigma and unmet recovery needs can occur regardless of symptom status or disease process, reducing life satisfaction and disrupting overall well-being. The present study examined the mediating role of self-stigma and unmet needs in the relationship between psychiatric symptom severity and subjective quality of life. Methods: Structural equation modeling and mediation analyses were conducted based on a community sample of 400 mental health consumers with schizophrenia spectrum disorders in Hong Kong. Results: The model of self-stigma and unmet needs as mediators between symptom severity and subjective quality of life had good fit to the data (GFI = .93, CFI = .93, NNFI = .92, RMSEA = .06, χ/ df ratio = 2.62). A higher level of symptom severity was significantly associated with increased self-stigma ( R = .24) and a greater number of unmet needs ( R = .53). Self-stigma and unmet needs were in turn negatively related to subjective quality of life ( R = .45). Conclusions: It is essential that service providers and administrators make greater efforts to eliminate or reduce self-stigma and unmet recovery needs, which are associated with the betterment of the overall quality of life and long-term recovery. Both incorporating empowerment and advocacy-based interventions into recovery-oriented services and providing community-based, person-centered services to people based on personally defined needs are important directions for future recovery-oriented efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents a collaborative research project by school psychologists and educators in Hong Kong. It investigated the coping strategies used by Chinese parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (N = 380) to enhance their children’s community integration and how these strategies were related to their perceptions of community integration and willingness to engage their children in community activities. A factor analysis of questionnaire responses revealed three clusters of coping strategies: Constructive, avoidant, and confrontational strategies. Parents’ willingness to engage their children in community activities was predicted positively by their use of constructive strategies but negatively by their use of avoidant strategies. Confrontational strategies had no predictive power. Parents who used constructive strategies often tended to report more positive emotions and perceive greater importance for engaging their children in community activities. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The present study compared how parents of preschoolers with and without Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) perceived and felt about participation in community activities. A questionnaire survey was conducted with 380 Hong Kong parents of preschoolers with ASD and 214 Hong Kong parents of preschoolers without ASD. The two groups were not different in their willingness and frequency of participation in community activities. However, the psychological processes underneath their willingness were very different. Among the parents of preschoolers with ASD, their willingness was associated with how they perceived the difficulty and importance of the participation and what emotions they experienced during the activities. This pattern of association was not evident among the parents of preschoolers without ASD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because of purported obstacles to empowering adults with developmental disabilities to enhance their community integration, particularly in a Chinese context as Hong Kong, it is important to gauge the contribution of empowerment in such a place. The present study thereby assesses community integration in terms of knowledge, assertiveness, desire, feeling accepted, and participation and empowerment in terms of involvement in planning, leading, and reviewing in the social service setting. This study involves a survey of adults with developmental disabilities of various grades. It turns out that empowerment is significantly helpful for the adult’s community integration, regardless of the grade and proxy response by a family member or social worker. Hence, empowerment can be feasible in social service settings to raise the adult’s community integration effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To understand the community integration of adults with developmental disabilities in Hong Kong, a comprehensive measure includes four dimensions, pertaining to social activity, social services, interpersonal behavior, and people involved in social interaction. Applying this measure to 692 adults (aged 15-62), the territory-wide study finds that these adults lack company for out-of-home activities and community activities despite their higher knowledge, assertiveness, social interaction, and feeling accepted in the community. With the strengthening of many conditions (including knowledge and community support) for community integration, the adults tend to have greater need for empowerment to enhance their active participation in community activities. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]