Urinary incontinence has usually been assessed in the laboratory and no previous attempt has been made to measure the degree and extent of restrictions which are imposed on the individual. A scale was developed to measure the effect of being incontinent. This scale was derived from a questionnaire administered to women attending a urodynamic clinic. In these patients, all of whom had established urinary incontinence, the major problems encountered were in social and mental well-being, including sexual difficulties and embarrassment. The degree of incontinence did not co-relate with the degree of disability.

Norton CL. Social work and the environment: An ecosocial approach This article draws on insights from social work, ecopsychology and ecofeminism to inform an ecosocial approach honouring humans' interconnectedness with nature. It re‐examines social work's ecosystems perspective and redefines its central ‘person‐in‐environment’ configuration to embrace a broadened emphasis on the natural world. It identifies insights from ecofeminism on the parallels between the oppression of women and domination of nature, and presents feminist ways of relating that may enhance connection with the planet as a whole. It introduces the concepts of empathy and empowerment from relational cultural theory as important ideas to integrate with social work's ecosystems perspective to promote deeper awareness of this connection. Finally, the ecosocial approach thus derived is examined as a means of promoting environmental sustainability at all levels of social work practice.

Child abuse is epidemic in the United States and has dire long-term consequences. Innovative interventions are needed to address the negative cognitive, affective and behavioral effects of child abuse. This mixed-method study examined if adventure therapy is 1) an effective mental health intervention for child and adolescent survivors of abuse and neglect, and 2) an effective intervention for families affected by abuse and neglect. The effectiveness of the adventure therapy intervention was measured by a reduction in child trauma symptoms and improved family functioning, as reported via the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children (TSCC), the Family Assessment Device (FAD), as well as qualitative data gathered via family focus groups. Findings showed that trauma-informed adventure therapy with youth and families affected by abuse reduces trauma symptomology in youth and improves family functioning, particularly in the areas of communication, closeness and problem-solving skills.

Young people today face a multitude of challenges, especially when growing up in an urban environment. Risk factors such as poverty, exposure to gangs, drugs, and community and family violence threaten healthy development. The positive youth development (PYD) approach attempts to combat these personal and environmental challenges by providing youth with positive, asset-building experiences and meaningful, supportive relationships. There is a need for creative youth development programming that brings these two elements together in a structured and voluntary context, such as a wilderness-based program. This study explored the impact of a PYD program that utilizes mentor-supported wilderness expeditions to build developmental assets among a diverse sample of 159 urban youth in the United States. The Developmental Assets Profile was administered pre- and post-program, as well as 90 days post-program. Quantitative findings show that this type of programming can be an asset-building experience for youth facing multiple risk factors.

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