The aim of this service evaluation was to evaluate the effectiveness of a psycho-educalion group intervention for clients presenting with emotion dysregulation difficulties within a secondary care adult community mental health setting. Following the seven-week intervention, individuals showed a significant improvement in emotion regulation, a significant reduction in alexithymia and an increase in overall wellbeing.

The original article [1] contained a minor error in the following sentence in the Discussion.

BACKGROUND:Hemiparesis after stroke typically results in a reduced walking speed, an asymmetrical gait pattern and a reduced ability to make gait adjustments. The purpose of this pilot study was to investigate the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of home-based training involving auditory cueing of stepping in place. METHODS:Twelve community-dwelling participants with chronic hemiparesis completed two 3-week blocks of home-based stepping to music overlaid with an auditory metronome. Tempo of the metronome was increased 5% each week. One 3-week block used a regular metronome, whereas the other 3-week block had phase shift perturbations randomly inserted to cue stepping adjustments. RESULTS:All participants reported that they enjoyed training, with 75% completing all training blocks. No adverse events were reported. Walking speed, Timed Up and Go (TUG) time and Dynamic Gait Index (DGI) scores (median [inter-quartile range]) significantly improved between baseline (speed = 0.61 [0.32, 0.85] m⋅s-1; TUG = 20.0 [16.0, 39.9] s; DGI = 14.5 [11.3, 15.8]) and post stepping training (speed = 0.76 [0.39, 1.03] m⋅s-1; TUG = 16.3 [13.3, 35.1] s; DGI = 16.0 [14.0, 19.0]) and was maintained at follow-up (speed = 0.75 [0.41, 1.03] m⋅s-1; TUG = 16.5 [12.9, 34.1] s; DGI = 16.5 [13.5, 19.8]). CONCLUSION:This pilot study suggests that auditory-cued stepping conducted at home was feasible and well-tolerated by participants post-stroke, with improvements in walking and functional mobility. No differences were detected between regular and phase-shift training with the metronome at each assessment point.

Hemiparetic gait due to stroke is characterized by temporal asymmetry and variability. Research shows this can be improved by auditory cueing, whereby participants train to step in time and space with a visual or auditory cue. This particular method is effective in training a symmetrical gait and helps to improve coordination and speed. We describe a pilot study that investigates the possibility of training with an auditory rhythmical metronome embedded in music, during stepping in place within a home- based setting. Stepping in place incorporates aspects of movements that are also important for a successful gait, such as reciprocal flexion and extension of the legs in timely coordination and synchronization, creating a step frequency, a swing phase and single limb support. Stepping in place may also provide a valuable method for home-based training, as little space in the home is required and, therefore, participants are less likely to fall. This case study seeks to obtain proof of the concept that stepping in place within a home setting may be a useful tool for locomotor training after stroke.