Well-being and health in adolescents with disabilities

Abstract

Several studies have indicated that adolescents with disabilities are more dissatisfied with their quality-of-life and have more complaints regarding their health in comparison to their nondisabled peers. Objective: In this study the authors investigated the self-ratings of health and its relationship to life satisfaction in students with disabilities. In addition, similarities and differences between students with and without disabilities regarding their self-ratings of health, life satisfaction, and psychological and physical symptoms were analyzed. Method: The sample included 213 students with disabilities (M = 14.12 years old; SD = 1.97; N = 213) and a control group of 242 students without disabilities (M = 14.15 years old; SD = 1.97; N = 242). Participants completed a questionnaire from the HBSC study which was administered in the classroom. Results: The results showed that sudents with disabilities who report a better health self-rating were happier and more satisfied with their lives. Comparison between groups showed that students with disabilities presented more symptoms and lower health perception than their nondisabled peers. Conclusions: The findings from this study reinforce the need for interventions empowering adolescents with disabilities to better manage their health. More research is needed to replicate these results between different types of disabilities.