Personal dispositions for the sense of coherence in people with physical disability

Objectives The process of adaptation in people with physical disability is conditioned by a number of interrelated psychological and social factors, such as e.g.: sense of coherence, self-concept and patterns of psychosocial reactions to disability. This study presents the relationships between the sense of coherence and personal dispositions, such as the self-concept and different patterns of reactions to disability in persons with physical disability. Material and methods The following measures were used in the study: The Sense of Coherence Questionnaire (SOC-29) by Aaron Antonovsky, The Tennessee Self-Concept Scale by William H. Fitts, The Reactions to Impairment and Disability Inventory (RIDI) by Hanoch Livneh and Richard F. Antonak. Data are presented from 204 people with physical disability, including 86 female (42.16 %) and 118 male (57.84 %) respondents. Results The study has shown relationships between the majority of analysed variables. Predictors of the sense of coherence in respondents with physical disability were two reactions: adjustment and anxiety. Each reaction marked its predictive power in all components of the sense of coherence and its summed score. Adjustment enhanced whereas anxiety weakened the sense of coherence. Adjustment was most often supported by moral-ethical self-concept and personal self-concept, whereas anxiety by the social self-concept and, although to a lesser extent, physical self-concept. Conclusions Sense of coherence is an important factor impacting social rehabilitation of people with physical disability, as it is associated with the sense of meaningfulness in these individuals, guiding them to undertake any daily professional or social activities.