Group treatment of physically disabled adults by telephone.

Physical disability threatens a person's life style and can be detrimental in its effects on mood and activity. We describe a counseling program for severely disabled persons who were involved in telephone support groups in order to solve problems related to feeling discouraged, lonely, or being too inactive to remain healthy. A majority of the participants reported being less anxious and more socially involved as a result of the intervention. Ease with which groups were conducted and positive feedback from participants suggests that research should evaluate the cost effectiveness of phone intervention and explore potential of treating affective problems with scheduled phone contact.