Social Support and Quality of Life Perceptions Among Persons with Disabilities

Everyone may need some form of support at a point in time. Support networks assist when there are threatening life events. Whereas everyone needs support, persons who are vulnerable in society such as persons with disabilities (PWDs) may need it the most, hence, this study investigated the influence of social support on their quality of life (QoL). This study aimed to determine the impact of social support on the QoL of PWDs. The study sought to find the sources of social support, the relationship between social support and QoL, and the mechanism by which social support influences the QoL of PWDs. The study was mixed-method with an explanatory sequential design. The population of the study was PWDs in the Tamale Metropolis and Sagnarigu Municipality. A total of 117 PWDs participated in the study using stratified random sampling. A questionnaire and a semi-structured interview guide were the main instruments. The researchers administered the instruments personally. The quantitative data was analysed using simple linear regression, and One-way ANOVA while the qualitative data was analysed using thematic analysis. It was found that social support was a predictor of the QoL of PWDs especially, support from significant others and families but not from friends. Also, there was a significant difference in QoL among PWDs especially between the hearing impaired and the physically disabled. It was found that the support they received improved their health, well-being, and QoL. It was concluded that social support enhances the QoL of PWDs, hence, the need to strengthen social support systems for them.