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Quality of Life and Mental Health of People with Disabilities...
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Quality of Life and Mental Health of People with Disabilities and Chronic Illnesses in the Digital Era

A special issue of Healthcare (ISSN 2227-9032). This special issue belongs to the section "Health Assessments".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2025 | Viewed by 3890

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Chung-Yi Chiu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Health Promotion and Rehabilitation Lab, Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
Interests: health promotion for people with disabilities and chronic illness; psychosocial adjustment; social participation; quality of life; well-being
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Telehealth, m-health, e-health, and social media have been parts of everyone’s life, with no exception for people with disabilities and chronic illnesses. It is important to understand their experiences in using or accessing these means, and what as well as how their user experiences are related to their quality of life and well-being. Such research will inform various stakeholders in making corresponding evaluations, interventions, and public health policy to improve quality of life and well-being in people with disabilities and chronic illnesses in the digital era.

The purpose of this Special Issue is to publish high-quality research papers as well as review articles addressing recent advances in this field.

Dr. Chung-Yi Chiu
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Healthcare is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • telehealth
  • m-health
  • e-health
  • social media
  • disability
  • chronic illness
  • quality of life
  • well-being

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 266 KiB  
Article
Navigating a New Normal: A Qualitative Look at Long-Term Care Planning for Children with Intellectual Disabilities Post-COVID-19
by Alice Yip, Yuen-Han Mo, Jeff Yip, Zoe Tsui, Fu-Fai Fong and Pui-Man Chu
Healthcare 2024, 12(24), 2512; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12242512 - 11 Dec 2024
Viewed by 961
Abstract
Background: Family caregivers of individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) face numerous challenges in long-term planning, which have been exacerbated amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Specific triggers raise awareness of future planning needs, but barriers like painful emotions and exhaustion often impede the process. This [...] Read more.
Background: Family caregivers of individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) face numerous challenges in long-term planning, which have been exacerbated amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Specific triggers raise awareness of future planning needs, but barriers like painful emotions and exhaustion often impede the process. This study aimed to explore Hong Kong (HK) caregivers’ perspectives on long-term planning for family members with ID at the later period of the pandemic. Methods: A qualitative phenomenological approach was utilized. In-depth interviews regarding experiences with long-term care preparation during COVID-19 were conducted with 12 purposively sampled HK caregivers of adults with ID. Data were analyzed using Colaizzi’s method. Results: Four key themes emerged: planning a loved one’s future alone, the burden of arranging care for disabled loved ones, planning a child’s future care amid family tensions, and the pandemic worsening future caregiving worries. Conclusion: Caregivers urgently require encouragement and support from policymakers and professionals to build confidence in long-term strategy and access robust assistance. Implications include identifying caregiver concerns, aiding gradual planning implementation, increasing respite options, and facilitating discussions regarding future residential care homes. This study provides initial valuable insights into an overlooked population during an unprecedented crisis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quality of Life and Mental Health of People with Disabilities and Chronic Illnesses in the Digital Era)

Other

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15 pages, 587 KiB  
Systematic Review
AI Applications to Reduce Loneliness Among Older Adults: A Systematic Review of Effectiveness and Technologies
by Yuyi Yang, Chenyu Wang, Xiaoling Xiang and Ruopeng An
Healthcare 2025, 13(5), 446; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13050446 - 20 Feb 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2128
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Loneliness among older adults is a prevalent issue, significantly impacting their quality of life and increasing the risk of physical and mental health complications. The application of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in behavioral interventions offers a promising avenue to overcome challenges in [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Loneliness among older adults is a prevalent issue, significantly impacting their quality of life and increasing the risk of physical and mental health complications. The application of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in behavioral interventions offers a promising avenue to overcome challenges in designing and implementing interventions to reduce loneliness by enabling personalized and scalable solutions. This study systematically reviews the AI-enabled interventions in addressing loneliness among older adults, focusing on the effectiveness and underlying technologies used. Methods: A systematic search was conducted across eight electronic databases, including PubMed and Web of Science, for studies published up to 31 January 2024. Inclusion criteria were experimental studies involving AI applications to mitigate loneliness among adults aged 55 and older. Data on participant demographics, intervention characteristics, AI methodologies, and effectiveness outcomes were extracted and synthesized. Results: Nine studies were included, comprising six randomized controlled trials and three pre–post designs. The most frequently implemented AI technologies included speech recognition (n = 6) and emotion recognition and simulation (n = 5). Intervention types varied, with six studies employing social robots, two utilizing personal voice assistants, and one using a digital human facilitator. Six studies reported significant reductions in loneliness, particularly those utilizing social robots, which demonstrated emotional engagement and personalized interactions. Three studies reported non-significant effects, often due to shorter intervention durations or limited interaction frequencies. Conclusions: AI-driven interventions show promise in reducing loneliness among older adults. Future research should focus on long-term, culturally competent solutions that integrate quantitative and qualitative findings to optimize intervention design and scalability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quality of Life and Mental Health of People with Disabilities and Chronic Illnesses in the Digital Era)
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