Perspectives of Persons with Physical Disabilities on Obstacles to Marriage

Objectives: This study explores the obstacles to marriage for persons with physical disabilities from their own perspectives. Methods: To achieve the study's objectives, a questionnaire was developed and administered to a sample of 442 people with physical disabilities (203 females and 239 males). The study utilizes a descriptive approach, allowing for the description of the phenomenon related to marriage obstacles and its correlation with certain variables among persons with physical disabilities. Results: The results indicate that the obstacles to marriage for persons with physical disabilities are moderate. Psychological barriers were found to have the greatest impact, followed by social barriers. Challenges related to behavioral obstacles had the least impact. The sample's responses to the scale's subdivisions on gender, academic standing, and marital status did not reveal any statistically significant differences. However, statistically significant differences were observed in terms of the specialization variable, in favour of scientific colleges. Conclusions: Based on the findings, there are some obstacles to marriage for people with physical disabilities from their point of view. Psychological and social factors constitute the biggest obstacles, while behavioural barriers have the least impact. The study suggests that specialised mental health services should be provided to help individuals with disabilities cope with psychological and social pressures. Moreover, marital counselling services should be developed to meet their needs. These services can include educational programmes tailored to help couples with disabilities face potential challenges and to provide specialized marital counselling.