Vol.Lx,Suppl.Xvi,529Sectiod 2005

ANNALES
UNIVERSITATIS MARIAE CURIE-SKŁODOWSKA
LUBLIN - POLONIA

VOL.LX,SUPPL.XVI,529SECTIOD 2005

AcademyofSpecialEducationinWarsawChairofSpecialEducation

DepartmentofSpecialEducationBasis

BernadetaSzczupał

Youngmotoricallyhandicappedpeopleinrelationtofeelingoflonelinessandqualityoflife

Młodzieżniepełnosprawnaruchowowobecpoczuciasamotnościijakościżycia

Lonelinessismultidimensionalpsychosocialhumanexperience.Itisanunpleasantfeeling,appearingasaresultofaclashbetweenexpectationsandrealpossibilities.Asaphenomenonaccompanyinghumanexistence,lonelinessisanalyzedmostofteninrelationtothepopulationofadultsindifficultsituations.Muchmoreseldom,however,itisrelatedtothepopulationofchildrenandyouth,thoughitisyouthwhoareparticularlypredestinedtoexperiencevariousformsofloneliness(J.Rembowski,1992;S.R.Asher,S.Hymel,P.D.Renshaw1984;P.D.Renshaw,P.J.Brown1993).

Knowledgeofoneself,awarenessofone’sownneeds,interests,valuesandskillsplaysavitalroleinforminglifeplansandestablishingsocialcontacts.Intheirreflectionsonloneliness,manyauthorsemphasizethatitmayappearasaresultofaconsciouschoice,whichmaybeconstructive,asitenablesreachingone'spsycheandfavorsone’sowncreativity(J.Rembowski1992;A.Giryński2004;Z.Skorny1997;D.Wolf1995;J.Hartog,J.R.Audy,Y.A.Cohen1980).However,whenisolationfromtheworldisnotaconsciousanddeliberatechoice,itcanleadtodisturbancesinthefunctioningofapersonandprovokeautodestructivereactions.

Lonelinessshouldbetreatedasanimportantfactorcapableofdestructivelyinfluencingpersonalityanddisturbingpersonalandinterpersonalfunctioning.Peoplewithastrongfeelingoflonelinessmanifestalowdegreeofbehaviorstabilityandfinditdifficulttoproperlysatisfytheirbasicneeds:acceptance,understanding,affiliation,orexpressingemotions(T.Lake1993).Thefollowingarestressed:dependencesbetweenlonelinessandshyness,qualityoflife,depression,threatofaddictionsetc.(J. Rembowski J. 1992; Z. Dołęga 2003; J. Cassidy, S. R. Asher 1992).

Intheformationprocessofthefeelingofloneliness,threestagesaredistinguished.Thefirstoneischaracterizedbyexternalcircumstances,whichinfluencelimitingorblockingcontactswithothers,andthuseliminateso-calledmutualbehaviors.Atthisstage,thefeelingofbelongingstops.Atthesecondstageofloneliness,anindividuallosesconfidenceinthemselvesandtrustintheirabilitytoestablishandmaintaincontactswithotherpeople.Thethirdstageoflonelinessischaracterizedbydestructionoftheabilitytoenterinteractionswithothers.Anindividualthenbecomesconvincedthatnobodycaresabouttheirexistence,andtheenvironmentexpressesindifferencetowardsthem(T.Lake1993).Limitationoralackofsocialcontactsthatwouldsatisfytheindividualmayleadthemtodevelopanexcessivefeelingofloneliness,whichengendersconvictionthatoneisaloneintheworldandcannotcountonanyoneelse(M.Braun-Gałkowska1994).

Causesoflonelinesscanbeclassifiedinsocialandculturalcategories,anddependingonpredominantfactorstheformerorthelattercanbeemphasizedasdeciding.Experiencesrelatedtothestateoflonelinessareconditionedbyvarioussocialanddemographicaswellaspsychologicalfactors(e.g.theimageofoneself,one’ssystemofvalues,lifeplans,interests)(A.Giryński 1998; B. Szczupał 2003, 2004; R.M.Page1990).

Whilesearchingforsourcesoftheexcessivefeelingoflonelinessinchildrenandyouth,whatshouldbeindicatedistheirsocialenvironment.Accordingtonumerousauthorsdealingwiththeproblemoflonelinessandqualityoflifeinchildrenandyouth,itcanbeconcludedthat:

-lonelinessfeltbyyouthandthesocialdiscontentremaininatightrelationship;lowsocialstatusisachievedfirstofallbypeoplewhomanifestastrongfeelingofloneliness,

-lonelinessfeltbyyouthintheadolescenceperiodremainsinacloserelationshipwithdifficultiesincommunicationwiththeenvironment;

-thereisaclearcorrelationbetweenyouth’sfeelingoflonelinessandtheleveloftheirself-esteem,empathy,depressionandaggressivereactions(Z.DołęgaZ.2003;A.Giryński1998;J.Rembowski1992;A.Marcoen,M.Brumagne1985;E.S.Buchholz,R.Catton1999).

Alsodespitethevariousapproachestotheevaluationofqualityoflife,duetothebigdemandofvariousenvironments,psychologistsfrequentlybeginresearchinordertodescribequalityoflifeinacertainpopulationofhealthy,handicappedorunemployedpeople.Thosewhostudyqualityoflifeincreasinglyoftenemphasizeitssubjectivedimension,thatisthefeelingofqualityoflife.Thesubjectofthestudiesaresubjectiveindicatorsofqualityoflife,measuredintheformofevaluationsofindividualareasoflifeandlifesatisfaction.Subjectiveindicatorsofqualityoflifearecalledthefeelingofqualityoflife(E.Kasprzak1999;S.Kowalik1994,2000).

Thefeelingofqualityoflifeincludesmanyindicatorswhichcreatealayerstructure,fromthedesiretolivetosatisfactionwithvariousareasofhumanactivity.Self-evaluation,evaluationofone’sownlifesituationandtheenvironmentrepresentasubjectivereflectionofreality.Subjectiveevaluationofqualityoflifemaybeanafter-effectofobjectivechangesintheperson’ssituation.

Instudiesonmotoricallyhandicappedpeople,apartfromquestionsofhealthypeople’srehabilitationandadaptationtolifeinthesociety,increasingimportanceisgainedbyattemptstospecifytowhatextentbeinghandicappedandlimitationsrelatedtobeinghandicappedinfluencetheirsystemsofvalues,lifeplansandqualityoflife.Authorsinvolvedinproblemsofrehabilitationofhandicappedpeopleemphasizethatrehabilitationisonlyeffectivewhenitconcernssimultaneouslyasomatic,psychicalandsocialspheres(A.Hulek1989;P.Majewicz1999;H.Larkowa1987;B.Szczupał1998,2003;E.Wojtasiak1997).Duringadisease,acceptanceofoneselfanddefiningone’sownsystemofvaluesandlifeplansmakeitpossibletomobilizetheorganism’sstrengthstofightwiththelimitationsanddifficultiesencountered,makingitpossibletobearthepainandbeingconducivetothehandicappedperson’sself-realizationprocess.

Oneofthemostimportantaspectsofinterpersonalfunctioningofmotoricallyhandicappedyouthisthattheyfeelmentalstateswhichmayleadthemtoformtheirbehaviorsinordertoachievetheirownidentityandautonomyaswellasco-operationwithothers.

Methodologyofownstudies

Theobjectiveofthestudieswastoshowchosencircumstancesandaspectsoffeelinglonelyandqualityoflifeinmotoricallyhandicappedyouth.Apartfromthat,anattemptwasmadetoanswerthefollowingquestion:Howdoesacertainlifesituationconditionedbyaphysicalhandicapinfluencethefeelingoflonelinessandqualityoflife?

Aimingtoobtaintheanswertotheaboveresearchquestion,thediagnosticsurveymethodwasused,includingthefollowingtechniquesandresearchtools:Sag’sScaleandRasch’sScale,whichmeasurethedegreeoflonelinessfeltincertaininterpersonalsituations,aswellasaself-developedsurveyquestionnaireforsomechosencircumstancesoflonelinessfeltbytheyouthstudied.

BasingonSag’sScale,whichincludes28points(items),thefollowinglonelinesswasdefined:resultingfromthelackofrelationshipswithpeers,relatedtothelackofsatisfyingrelationshipswithparentsaswellasotherimportantpeople.

Rasch’sScaleenabledspecifyingthefollowingdimensionsofloneliness:deprivationoftheneedofasocialcontact,thefeelingoflosingthesocialgroup,situationalsocialrejection,thefeelingofbondswiththegroup,thefeelingofsignificantrelationshipswithpeople.

Inordertostudythefeelingofqualityoflifeinhandicappedpeople,thefollowingwereused:theanalysisofdocumentationandasurveyquestionnairewherethequestionswereaboutthefollowing:thedesiretolive,self-evaluation,theleveloflifeoptimism,lifesatisfaction(atpresent,inthepastandwithinthelastfiveyears),satisfactionwithsomeareasoflife,hierarchyofvalues,goalsandlifeambitionsaswellasopportunitiesandobstaclesinusingthem,andtheplaceofresidence.Inthequestionsaskedinthesurveyquestionnaire,attentionwasalsopaidtothestudiedpeople’scurrentmaterialsituation,theirleisureactivities,typesofsocialrelationships(withtheirfamilies,localcommunitiesanddifferentkindsofsocialorganizations)aswellaswaysofcopingwithproblemsandlifedifficulties.

Theresearchwasmadeamongstudentsof3rdgradesofageneraleducationsecondaryschoolandatechnicaleducationsecondaryschool,intheCenterforEducationandRehabilitationoftheDisabledinKonstancin,theChild’sHealthCentre,andtheClinicofOrthopedicsandRehabilitationinZakopane.Thestudiedyouthhadinbornhandicapsorhandicapsacquiredintheirearlychildhood.Allthestudiednon-handicappedyoungpeoplewerepupilsofsecondaryschools:generaleducationsecondaryschools,professionalsecondaryschoolsandtechnicalsecondaryschoolsinWarsaw,OtwockandKonstancin.Thestudycoveredthetotalnumberof378pupilsaged17–18.

Resultsofresearch

Theresultsofresearchonthefeelingoflonelinessinmotoricallyhandicappedyouthledtotheconclusionthattheyfeeltheirlonelinessmuchmoreintenselythanthenon-handicappedyouth.Youthwithadysfunctionalorganofmovementmorefrequentlyfeeltheirlonelinessincontactswiththeirpeers.ItisconfirmedbyhighindicatorsobtainedinSag’sScale.Therewereessentialstatisticaldifferencesbetweenthegroupsinquestion,e.g.inthesubscale“relationshipswithpeers”(t=3.98;significanceonlevelp0.001);inthesubscale“relationshipswithparents”(t=2.37;significanceonlevelp0.05).

Differenceswerealsoobservedbetweenthestudiedgroupsintherangeoffeelinglonely“inrelationshipswithothersignificantpeople”.Handicappedyouthmoreoftenfeltdifficultiesinestablishingsocialcontactswithpeopletheyfindsignificant,e.g.withteachers.Differencesappearedalsotobestatisticallysignificant(t=4.17;significanceonthelevelof0.001).

HighindicatorsoflonelinessinRasch’sScaleconfirmedthefactofmorefrequentoccurrenceofthefeelingoflonelinessinthegroupofhandicappedyouth.Handicappedyouthachievedalsohighresultsinthedimensionofloneliness“Deprivationoftheneedofsocialcontacts”.Particularlyevidentwerethelackofaclosefriendandrejectionbytheenvironment(t=4.87;significanceonlevelp0.001).Therewerealsostatisticallysignificantdifferencesinthedimension“situationalfeelingofrejection”(t=3.68;significanceonthelevelof0.01)and“situationalsocialrejection”(t=4.65;significanceonlevelp0.001)aswellasthe“feelingofsignificantrelationshipswithpeople”(t=3.38;significanceonlevelp0.01).

Havinganalyzedstatementsofthegroupsstudiedinthesurveyquestionnaire,itcanbeconcludedthat:

-whatmotoricallyhandicappedyouthandnon-handicappedyouthhaveincommonisloneliness,firstofallwithisolationfromclosepeople,thelackofintimatebonds,trustaswellasbeingabandonedbyeverybodywhotheyfindimportant;

-bothstudiedgroupslookforcausesoflonelinessfirstofallintheirphysical,characterandpersonalityfeatures,e.g.shyness,taciturnity,lowself-esteem;

-handicappedyouth(78%)morefrequentlynoticecausesoftheirlonelinessintheirrelationshipswithpeers,socialattitudesaswellasinmanythreatsinherentinthemodernworld(theunemploymentrate,fastpaceoflife,consumerattitude,lackoftimetomaintainbondsetc.);

-accordingtobothstudiedgroups(67%ofhandicappedyouthand59%ofnon-handicappedyouth)lonelinessisalso,incertainsituations,necessarytobeabletosolvevariouslifeproblems.

Conclusionsaboutthestudiedyouth’slifesatisfactionandqualityoflifeareinferredonthebasisofevaluationoftheircurrentlivesandlifeprospectsinfiveyears.Handicappedyouth(78.9%),irrespectiveoftheirindividuallifesituationorfamilysituation,perceivebeinghandicappedasimpoverishmentoftheirlivesbyacertainvalue.

Inthestudiedgroup,feelingfamilyandsocialresults,whichfollowtheirhandicapandchronicdisease,makesthemformlowopinionsoflife.Incomparisonwiththeirpresentlife,theonethatisoverseemsbetter,becauseweoftenperceivewhatweloseasmorevaluablethanwhatwehaveatpresent.

Theresultsreceivedcanalsobetokenaworsesocialsituationofthehandicapped,relatedto,e.g.impropersocialattitudesorthefeelingofharm.Thesephenomenaaretheresultofbadadaptationoflimitedphysicalandpsychicalcapabilitiestothechangingsocialsituation.

Anotheraspectofthefeelingofqualityoflifebelongingtopsychicalstates,leastsusceptibletoexternalinfluences,istheaspectofbeinghappy.Itisbasedonvalueswhichareimportantatagivenstageoflife,suchasfamilyandhealth,andthenworkorbeinghandicapped.Researchonthehandicappedandnon-handicappedpeople’sfeelingsofqualityoflifefurthershowthatthepresentsituationonthejobmarketaswellastheunemploymentrateareperceivedbymostpeoplesurveyed(74.7%ofhandicappedand57.6%ofnon-handicapped)asthemostcertainaspectoftheirfuture.Itfurtherdeterminesyetanotheraspectofthefeelingofqualityoflife,thatistheleveloflifeoptimism.Accordingtothepeoplestudied(78.8%ofhandicapped)possibilitiesofusingmedicalandrehabilitationservices,whichareessentialforthehandicapped,haveworseneddramatically.Meetingtheirhealthandrehabilitationneedsbecomesadramaticchallengeforthestudiedgroup.

Oneofthemostimportantfactorsdeterminingthefeelingofqualityoflifeisthefamily.However,duetomanyeconomicandhealthproblems,thefamilytoofinditdifficulttocopewithever-increasingdifficultiesandcarryouttheirresponsibilities.Moreover,whatthestudiedhandicappedyouthdrawattentiontointheiropinionsistheproblemoflonelinessandalimitedcontactwithotherpeople.Creatingconditionsforsuchcontactsishardlyevertakenintoaccountinpublicactivityprograms,andthefamilyfindsitincreasinglydifficulttocarryoutthesefunctions.

Theanalysisofthereceivedempiricaldataconfirmsthatthefeelingoflonelinessislowerwhenitconcernspeoplewithagoodoraveragestateofhealth,inaparticularlygoodorsatisfactorysocialsituation,anditishigherwiththesickwhoareconvincedaboutthelackofcontroloftheirownfateandlowsocialintegration(Z.Dołęga2003).Moreover,whileanalyzingsymptomsofthefeelingofloneliness,attentionshouldbepaidtothecrisisofvaluing,whichisimportantfortheadolescenceperiodandsignificantlydeterminesintensificationofindividualsymptoms.Thesituationofhandicappedyouthisnotsimple,asnotonlydotheyhavetomatureinthechaoticsystemofvalues,butalsotheymustcopewiththischaos.

Ingeneral,itcanbestatedthatthebasicconditionandgoalofeducationalinfluencesshouldbetomakesurethathandicappedyouthcanacceptthemselves,haveself-esteemandcanrealisticallyassesstherequirementstheyarefacedwithandtheirchancestoestablishpropersocialrelationships(P.Majewicz1999,B.Szczupał2004).Therefore,specialpedagoguesandpsychologists’responsibilityistotakemeasuresaimingtopreventandlimitanexcessivefeelingoflonelinessinthehandicappedyouthaswellastotakemeasuresaimingtoformpropersocialattitudestowardsthehandicapped.

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Streszczenie

Jednymzważniejszychaspektówfunkcjonowaniainterpersonalnegomłodzieżyniepełnosprawnejruchowojestodczuwanieprzezniąstanówpsychicznych,mogącychstanowićpodstawękształtowaniaichzachowańwceluosiąganiawłasnejtożsamościiautonomiiorazwspółdziałaniazinnymi.

Celemmojegoreferatubyłoukazaniewybranychuwarunkowańiaspektówpoczuciasamotnościijakościżyciamłodzieżyniepełnosprawnejruchowo.

Wbadanejgrupieodczuwanieskutkówrodzinnychispołecznych,jakieniesiezesobąniepełnosprawnośćichorobaprzewlekła,powodujeniskąocenężycia.Wporównaniuzobecnymżyciem,toktóreminęłowydajesięlepsze,ponieważtocotracimyczęstopostrzegamyjakobardziejwartościoweniżtocoaktualnieposiadamy.

Summary

Theobjectiveofmypaperwastoshowchosencircumstancesandaspectsoffeelinglonelyandqualityoflifeinmotoricallyhandicappedyouth.