Ghai Shashank, Ghai Ishan
Department of Political, Historical, Religious and Cultural Studies, Karlstad University, Karlstad, Sweden.
Centre for Societal Risk Research, Karlstad University, Karlstad, Sweden.
Adv Rehabil Sci Pract. 2024 Aug 22;13:27536351241271548. doi: 10.1177/27536351241271548. eCollection 2024 Jan-Dec.
The fear of falling is a pressing public health issue, yet current interventions often fall short in addressing it effectively. As a result, there is a need for innovative interventions that go beyond symptom relief to address the underlying causes. From this standpoint, we propose that limited exposure to floors and a lack of post-fall contingencies may contribute to the uncertainty that amplifies the fear of falling, particularly in fall prone populations. We explore the theoretical underpinnings of this hypothesis and propose a framework based on the Uncertainty and Anticipation model to elucidate potential connections. Building upon this, we introduce the Floor-hugging intervention-a two-part strategy designed to confront these challenges. Firstly, we propose gradual exposure to different floor scenarios through guided imagery to diminish fear by familiarizing individuals with such situations. Secondly, we advocate for the adoption of evidence-based ways to get up from the floor for developing after fall contingencies. We delve into the theoretical framework supporting our approach and its potential to reduce the fear of falling while improving physical, social, and psychological well-being. Additionally, we outline prospective outcome measures to comprehensively assess the impact of the intervention across biopsychosocial domains. This perspective aims to stimulate discussion on the potential role of floor exposure and post-fall strategies in reducing the fear of falling, while also advocating for innovative interventions to empower and protect fall-prone populations.
害怕跌倒（跌恐）是一个紧迫的公共卫生问题，但目前的干预措施往往难以有效解决这一问题。因此，需要有超越症状缓解、解决根本原因的创新性干预措施。从这个角度来看，我们认为接触地面机会有限以及跌倒后应对措施不足，可能会导致不确定性增加，进而加剧害怕跌倒的心理，尤其是在易跌倒人群中。我们探讨了这一假设的理论基础，并提出了一个基于不确定性与预期模型的框架，以阐明潜在的联系。在此基础上，我们引入了“贴近地面”干预措施——一种旨在应对这些挑战的两部分策略。首先，我们建议通过引导式意象逐步让个体接触不同的地面场景，通过让他们熟悉这些情况来减轻恐惧。其次，我们提倡采用基于证据的从地面起身的方法，以制定跌倒后的应对措施。我们深入研究了支持我们方法的理论框架及其在减少害怕跌倒心理的同时改善身体、社会和心理健康状况的潜力。此外，我们概述了前瞻性结果指标，以全面评估干预措施在生物心理社会各领域的影响。这一观点旨在激发关于接触地面和跌倒后策略在减少害怕跌倒心理方面潜在作用的讨论，同时也倡导采用创新性干预措施来增强易跌倒人群的能力并保护他们。
