Information Literacy for the Disability Community

Contributing Author: Dr. Valerie Hill

“I am conscious of a soul-sense that lifts me above the narrow, cramping circumstances of my life. My physical limitations are forgotten- my world lies upward, the length and the breadth and the sweep of the heavens are mine!” ~Helen Keller

Information literacy skills are essential in virtual environments because one enters as a digital citizen. One chooses where to seek information, interaction, and engagement with immersive activities and communities. Along with the fascinating array of choices to explore comes the responsibility to choose wisely and understand the consequences of our actions. Networked culture makes boredom and isolation seem nonexistent. For individuals with various types of disabilities, this can be particularly liberating because taking an active part in a physical world community can sometimes be challenging. Traveling to a community event may be difficult, if not impossible, even in the local neighborhood. Research in 3D virtual worlds documents advantages that immersive environments can provide the disabled through rich experiences without having to leave home.

For example, a research study suggests, “Patients with different kinds of social disorders and people who have problems communicating with others for different reasons could use 3DVWs to improve their social learning and interactive behaviors. A 3D virtual experience gives patients a feeling of control over their health, improving their knowledge and confidence, since they can navigate the health care system from their own home (Ghanbarsadeh et al., 2014)”.
Online communities can provide social interaction for the disabled in ways never before possible through networked computer technology. Benefits include forming friendships, attending engaging programs, and delving into personally meaningful learning experiences. Kel Smith says, “For people with disabilities that prevent them from engaging such physical activities as walking, running, surfing, and dancing, virtual worlds present a unique opportunity for users to take part in these experiences. (Smith, 2012).”

This new frontier of global digital participatory culture is not, however, without concerns. And one of the most critical issues we now must address is digital citizenship. Distinguishing credible information from inaccurate or deceptive information requires skill. So too, how we create, curate, and share information in networked society affects our future lives. Using networked technologies inappropriately may not only be a waste of time but can be harmful to ourselves and others. For example, cyber-bullying has become a problem for teenagers in particular. Educators can help model digital citizenship for students of all ages through advocating best uses of social media, online communities, and virtual worlds.
People from early childhood through old age are actively using computer technology and mobile devices and encountering information in new ways. Sometimes a new technology tool is enticing to the point of addiction. Each of us is now personally responsible for our information intake and production of user-generated content.
This new responsibility for digital citizenship includes understanding privacy, intellectual property, and the appropriate use of technology. Mike Ribble presents the Nine Elements of Digital Citizenship which address digital access, digital commerce, communication, literacy, etiquette, law, digital rights and responsibilities, digital health and wellness, and digital security.
Once we embrace our rights and responsibilities as digital citizens, exploration of new media formats can bring new understanding, empathy, knowledge, and the freedom to explore places not possible in physical environments through virtual worlds and (in the near future) virtual reality. As we encounter others in virtual environments, our virtual identity can build a sense of trust and authenticity. Behind the data and the avatar, there is a real human being.
The concept of reality may be changing as we consider what takes place in our minds is as real as what takes place in our bodies. Those who are limited by physical world constraints, such as the inability to move freely, may find a freedom to move in virtual spaces. In a virtual world, one can teleport to new places and enjoy the ability to fly! May we find joy in new freedoms, new friendships, and new adventures, while remembering that just as the physical world requires us to be good citizens, the same is true in a virtual world.

References:
Ghanbarzadeh, R., Ghapanchi, A. H., Blumenstein, M., & Talaei-Khoei, A. (2014). A Decade of Research on the Use of Three-Dimensional Virtual Worlds in Health Care: A Systematic Literature Review. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 16(2), e47. http://doi.org/10.2196/jmir.3097 Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3958677/
Ribble, Mike. (2016). Nine Elements of Digital Citizenship. Retrieved from http://www.digitalcitizenship.net/Nine_Elements.html
Smith, Kel. (2012). Universal Life: the Use of Virtual Worlds Among people with Disabilities. Retrieved from http://tcf.pages.tcnj.edu/files/2013/12/kelSmith_virtual_worlds_disabilities_032409.pdf

Keeping Those Resolutions

Many of us make all kinds of promises to ourselves about self-improvement, often in the form of New Years Resolutions.

But only two-thirds of people who make resolutions keep them through January.

Only one out of five will be able to maintain their resolutions to the end of the year.

How can you improve your chances of making your resolution “stick”?

• Create an environment for success.
• Write your resolutions down.
• Don’t put yourself down for a brief failure.
• Sustain your efforts.
• And most important of all, make the right kind of resolution in the first place! Some are easier to keep than others.

Learn some techniques for ensuring your self-improvement success. Gentle Heron shares research and tips about resolution-keeping in Second Life, the Blue Orchid Cabana classroom, Virtual Ability Island.

SLURL: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Virtual%20Ability/41/113/23

The presentation will be held on Wednesday, January 13, 6:30am Pacific (9:30am Eastern) and repeated on Sunday, January 17, 1pm Pacific (4pm Eastern).

The presentations will be in voice and text, simultaneously. We invite you to join us.

If you are not already a member of Second Life, you can begin here: http://www.virtualability.org/sign-up-for-second-life/.

Depression is More Complex Than Many of Us Know

Contributing Author: Gentle Heron

When a mental health practitioner is diagnosing clinical depression, she may ask questions about your feelings (“Are you sad? Feeling hopeless?”), whether you have lost interest in activities you used to enjoy, your energy level. But how often would a mental health specialist ask about headaches, digestive problems, or pain in the joints or chest?

And how often does a gastroenterologist or cardiologist question you about symptoms of depression?

Many people do not realize that depression, anxiety and other mood disorders often have physical ailments that are associated with them. The medical term for this is “comorbid condition.” All that means is that the two (or more) conditions occur together in one person.

The existence of comorbid health problems does not indicate that one condition causes the other. In fact, both could be caused by other conditions in the person’s body or life situations. However, it is important to realize that a person might not get diagnosed with clinical depression, which is treatable, if their doctor first sees one of the comorbid conditions and focuses treatment on it.

Obviously, this is important for us and for doctors to recognize. Here are the facts.

A majority of persons diagnosed with clinical depression have also consulted with their primary care physician or other specialists about pain (see reference 1 below). This pain can take many forms, and may be the primary (or only) diagnosis given.

• People diagnosed with fibromyalgia, a chronic condition with painful responses to particular pressure points plus widespread pain, are more than 3 times as likely to have clinical depression than do people without fibromyalgia (reference 2).
• More than one in ten persons with migraines, a particularly disabling form of headache, have one or more comorbid mood disorders, including depression (3).
• Persons with HIV/AIDS who have pain are also more likely to have clinical depression (4).

Three times as many persons with heart disease have depression compared to those without heart disease (5). Persons with heart failure who also are moderately or severely depressed are four times as likely to die as those without depression, and twice as likely to be hospitalized (6). Depression has been identified as a risk factor for coronary artery disease in men (7).

Gluten-sensitivity and other digestive system disorders may be another category of conditions comorbid with depression (8-11). Children with celiac disease who adhered to a gluten-free diet decreased their level of depression (12).

Osteoporosis, a condition resulting in weakened bones and loss of bone mass, is associated with depression (13).

Persons with chronic fatigue syndrome are seven times as likely to have major depression than are persons in the general population (2).

Sleep disorders may occur together with depression (14).

Persons with anxiety disorders (including PTSD, panic disorders, social phobias and obsessive-compulsive disorder) often have comorbid depression (15, 16). More than 4 out of 10 persons with PTSD have depression as well, 4 months after the traumatic event (17).

Alcoholism and other types of substance abuse or dependence are often comorbid with depression (18).

Hepatitis C virus infections often occur with depression (19), independent of the severity of liver disease the virus has caused.

Increased age is a risk factor for depression. Vascular depression results from hardening of blood vessels in the brain (20). Depression is also associated with self-neglect in the elderly (21).

Being female seems to be a risk factor for depression as well. An estimated 10-15% of new mothers are diagnosed with postpartum depression following childbirth (22). The hormonal changes at the onset of menopause may also be associated with depression (23), as may the existence of hot flashes (24).

Why is this important?

Persons who have depression along with (comorbid with) another serious health condition have more severe symptoms of both depression and the other health condition. They also have more difficulty adapting to their medical condition, and are likely to incur higher healthcare costs than do persons who have the same medical conditions without accompanying depression (5).

Persons with significant depression symptoms have a higher risk of dying from a range of health issues, including respiratory illness, heart disease and stroke, and nervous system conditions (25).

Treating depression significantly improves a person’s quality of life. The good news is that treating the depression can also help improve the outcome of treating the co-occurring health condition (26). Additional good news: non-mental health doctors are starting to take notice of the possibility that their patients may have comorbid depression (27, 28)

Will more doctors screen patients for depression? Will research indicate a cause-and-effect relationship between depression and other health issues? This remains to be seen.

(“Help! Do I have to read all these references?” No, of course not. But if you want further information on a topic, this is where to find it.)

References:

1. Kapfhammner, H-P. (2006, June). Somatic symptoms in depression. Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience, 8(2), 227-239.
2. Patten, S. B., Beck, C. A., Kassam, A., Williams, J. V., Barbui, C. & Metz, L. M. (2005, March). Long-term medical conditions and major depression: strength of association for specific conditions in the general population. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 50(4), 195-202.
3. Ratcliffe, G. E., Enns, M. W., Jacobi, E., Belik, S. L. & Sareen, J. (2009, Jan-Feb). The relationship between migraine and mental disorders in a population-based sample. General Hospital Psychiatry, 31(1), 14-19.
4. Mwesiga, E. K., Mugenyi, L., Nakasujja, N., Moore, S., Kaddumukasa, M. & Sajatovic, M. (2015, Dec 30). Depression with pain co morbidity effect on quality of life among HIV positive patients in Uganda: A cross sectional study. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes, 13(1), 206.
5. Cassano, P. & Fava, M. (2002). Depression and public health, an overview. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 53, 849–857.
6. Chamberlain, A. M., McNallan, S. M., Dunlay, S. M., Spertus, J. A., Redfield, M. M., Moser, D. K., Kane, R. L., Weston, S. A. & Roger, V. L. (2013, July). Physical health status measures predict all-cause mortality in patients with heart failure. Circulation, Heart Failure, 6(4), 669-675.
7. Ford, D. E., Mead, L. A., Chang, P. P., Cooper-Patrick, L., Wang, N. Y. & Klag, M. J. (1998, July). Depression is a risk factor for coronary artery disease in men: the precursors study. Archives of Internal Medicine, 158(13), 1422-1426.
8. Casella, G., Bordo, B. M., Schalling, R., Villanacci, V., Salemme, M., Di Bella, C., Baldini, V. & Bassotti, G. (2015, Nov 30). Neurological disorders and celiac disease. Minerva gastroenterologica e dietologica. [Epub ahead of print]
9. Ludvigsson, J. F., Reutfors, J., Osby, U., Ekbom, A. & Montgomery, S. M. (2007, April). Coeliac disease and risk of mood disorders: A general population-based cohort study. Journal of Affective Disorders, 99(1-3), 117-126.
10. Porcelli, B., Verdino, V., Bossini, L., Terzuoli, L. & Fagiolini, A. (2014, Oct 16). Celiac and non-celiac gluten sensitivity: A review on the association with schizophrenia and mood disorders. Auto-Immunity Highlights, 5(2), 55-61.
11. Zingone, F., Swift, G. L., Card, T. R., Sanders, D. S., Ludvigsson, J. F. & Bai, J. C. (2015, April). Psychological morbidity of celiac disease: A review of the literature. United European Gastroenterology Journal, 3(2), 136-145.
12. Simsek, S., Baysoy, G., Gencoglan, S. & Uluca, U. (2015, Sept). Effects of gluten-free diet on quality of life and depression in children with celiac disease. Journal of pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition, 61(3), 303-306.
13. Eskandari, F., Martinez, P.E., Torvik, S., Phillips, T.M., Sternberg, E. M. & Mistry, S. et al. for the POWER Study Group. (2007, Nov 26). Low bone mass in premenopausal women with depression. Archives of Internal Medicine, 167(21), 2329–2336.
14. Roberts, M. B. & Drummond, P. D. (2015, Dec 24). Sleep Problems are Associated with Chronic Pain Over and Above Mutual Associations with Depression and Catastrophizing. The Clinical Journal of Pain. [Epub ahead of print]
15. Devane, C. L., Chiao, E., Franklin, M. & Kruep, E.J. (2005, Oct). Anxiety disorders in the 21st century: status, challenges, opportunities, and comorbidity with depression. American Journal of Managed Care, 11 (Suppl. 12), S344–353.
16. Regier, D.A., Rae, D.S., Narrow, W.E., Kaebler, C.T. & Schatzberg, A.F. (1998). Prevalence of anxiety disorders and their comorbidity with mood and addictive disorders. British Journal of Psychiatry, 173 (Suppl. 34), 24–28.
17. Shalev, A.Y., Freedman, S., Perry, T., Brandes, D., Sahar, T., Orr, S.P. & Pitman, R.K. (1998). Prospective study of posttraumatic stress disorder and depression following trauma. American Journal of Psychiatry, 155(5), 630–637.
18. Conway, K.P., Compton, W., Stinson, F.S. & Grant, B. F. (2006, Feb). Lifetime comorbidity of DSM-IV mood and anxiety disorders and specific drug use disorders: results from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 67(2), 247–257.
19. Monaco, S., Mariotto, S., Ferrari, S., Calabrese, M., Zanusso, G., Gajofatto, A., Sansonno, D. & Dammaccao, F. (2015, Nov 14). Hepatitis C virus-associated neurocognitive and neuropsychiatric disorders: Advances in 2015. World Journal of Gastroenterology, 21(42), 11974-11983.
20. Krishnan KRR, Taylor WD, et al. (2004). Clinical characteristics of magnetic resonance imaging-defined subcortical ischemic depression. Biological Psychiatry, 55, 390–397.
21. Hansen, M. C., Flores, D. V., Coverdale, J. & Burnett, J. (2015, Dec 30). Correlates of depression in self-neglecting older adults: A cross-sectional study examining the role of alcohol abuse and pain in increasing vulnerability. Journal of elder abuse & neglect. [Epub ahead of print]
22. Altshuler, L.L., Hendrich, V. & Cohen, L. S. (1998). Course of mood and anxiety disorders during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 59, 29.
23. De Kruif, M., Molendijk, M. L., Haffmans, P. M. & Spijker, A. T. (2015). Depression during the perimenopause. Tijdschrift voor psychiatrie, 57(11), 795-804.
24. Woods, N. F., Hohensee, C., Carpenter, J. S., Cohen, L., Ensrud, K., Freeman, E. W., Guthrie, K. A., Joffe, H., LaCroix, A. Z. & Otte, J. L. (2015, Oct 26). Symptom clusters among MsFLASH clinical trial participants. Menopause. [Epub ahead of print]
25. Mykletun , A., Bierkeset, O., Dewey, M., Prince, M., Overland, S. & Stewart, R. (2007, May). Anxiety, depression, and cause-specific mortality: The HUNT study. Psychosomatic Medicine, 69(4), 323-331.
26. Katon, W. & Ciechanowski, P. (2002). Impact of major depression on chronic medical illness. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 53, 859–863.
27. Kukla, U., Labuzek, K., Chronowska, J., Krzystanek, M. & Okopien, B. (2015, May). Mental disorders in digestive system diseases: Internist's and psychiatrist's insight. Polski merkuriusz lekarski, 38(227), 245-249.
28. Oflazoglu, K., Mellema, J. J., Menendez, M. E., Mudgal, C. S., Ring, D. & Chen, N. C. (2015, Dec 24). Prevalence of and factors associated with major depression in patients with upper extremity conditions. The Journal of Hand Surgery. [Epub ahead of print]

Three of My Favourite Authors

Contributing author: Gentle Heron

Three of my favorite authors are Elizabeth Peters, Barbara Michaels, and Barbara Mertz.

Barbara Mertz, who died in 2013 at the age of 85, was the first to be published. With a doctorate in Egyptology, she wrote nonfiction books that detailed life in ancient Egypt. I read her books when I aspired to be a docent for the Tutankhamen exhibit at the Smithsonian. Red Land, Black Land was my favorite. Mertz described daily life of Egyptians of all classes, five thousand years before our time. Being a geek even then, I particularly enjoyed her explanations of Egyptian astronomy, architecture, and mathematics. Mertz’s books are so well written that they are still available. I highly recommend them to those readers interested in ancient Egyptian culture.

Barbara Michaels was the second of these authors to hit bookstore shelves, with her first romantic suspense novel, The Master of Blacktower. Not her best work, however, but typical of the genre: a beautiful young woman is attracted to her mysterious and cruel employer, and discovers his secret past.

In my opinion, a better-written gothic suspense novel by Michaels is The Dark on the Other Side. It opens with a talking house, a bored and frightened wife, and a reporter. And what would a gothic tale be without werewolves?

Michaels wrote about 30 books in all, exploring a variety of subgenres of the suspense category, including horror along the way. Her last book is Other Worlds, a ghost story, or rather a series of such stories told and dissected by worthy psychic investigators including Harry Houdini and Arthur Conan Doyle.

Elizabeth Peters was the most prolific of the three authors with 38 titles to her name, even though she got the latest start. She wrote three series of books with female protagonists: Vicky Bliss, Jacqueline Kirby, and Amelia Peabody. The last set is my favorite of the series.

Borrower of the Night is the first of the Vicky Bliss mystery/suspense series. Vicky is an intelligent, well-educated, snarky, independent woman. My kind of gal! Vicky is an art expert, and Peters obviously did extensive background research for the setting and the centuries-ago back-story of her book. Vicky is trying to find a missing 16th century art masterpiece in a wreck of an ancient castle, and is being both helped and hindered by various male characters who may or may not be romantic interests (past and/or future).

Jacqueline Kirby is a librarian who also writes romance novels. In Naked Once More, she’s writing a sequel to a bestseller of an author who has mysteriously disappeared. That means she’s going to have to write in the style of the other author, and she decides to write while living in that author’s home town. Complicated enough? That’s when the suspense begins, as accidents similar to those experienced by the missing writer begin to happen to Jacqueline. Throughout, she is brave and masterful, definitely a strong female to be admired.

My favorite of the three female protagonists, though, is Amelia Peabody. I think I have read all 19 of these historical mysteries. Amelia is a Victorian family-oriented explorer and Egyptologist, a female Indiana Jones if you will. The Last Camel Died at Noon is typical of this series with its energetic, complex plots. Attempting to solve the mystery of a missing archeologist, the Peabody family encounters a city in the Sudan where ancient Egyptian customs are still carried out. Amelia is brave, commonsensical, and indefatigable. Peters writes with dry humor and deep knowledge of her subject matter.

I am glad I could introduce you to three of my favorite authors. And they are all the same person, writing as three different personae! Mertz wanted to write fiction, but was unsuccessful at her first several attempts to have her stories published, so she wrote nonfiction, drawing on her academic background. When she had honed her fiction writing skills to the point her works were publishable, her novels also reflected her ability to research topics in depth. Mertz created the two noms de plume (Michaels and Peters) to maintain the distinction of the genres she was writing in, and managed to keep distinct styles for both “authors.” That takes real writing talent.