PURPOSE Depression is a highly prevalent condition in primary care settings. In our previously reported work, we investigated the processes and conditions that influence primary care clinicians' recognition of depression. Three conditions influence the recognition of depression: familiarity with the patient, time available, and clinical experience. This article further describes the role of cli...

There is an impending crisis in long-term care for people with developmental disabilities. The demand for care will likely outpace the supply for decades to come. Factors, such as limited existing long-term care resources, increased life expectancy for people with developmental disabilities, changing family demographics, legal actions, and competition for resources with the elderly population a...

According to the literature, 12 to 16 percent of children in the United States have at least one developmental delay, yet as many as one-half of affected children will not be identified by the time they enter kindergarten. If developmental delays are detected too late, opportunities for early intervention may be lost. Empirical literature on clinical recommendations for developmental delay scre...

This study examined whether occupational therapists were using treatment time to prepare adults with developmental disabilities for independent living opportunities. Eighty-eight occupational therapy evaluations for 54 adults with developmental disabilities in 18 different community agencies in the Boston area were reviewed to ascertain the focus of treatment goals that reflect treatment approa...

The population of medically fragile children in need of special care has tripled in the past 30 years as strides in technology and health care have enabled doctors to save young lives that would otherwise be lost. Some 10 to 15 percent of the nation’s children now require special care for chronic illnesses, physical disabilities, and developmental disorders. The complex needs of these children ...

Greater numbers of infants and young children with increasingly complicated and serious physical, mental health, and developmental problems are being placed in foster care. All children in foster care need to receive initial health screenings and comprehensive assessments of their medical, mental, dental health, and developmental status. Results of these assessments must be included in the cour...