A Study on the Life Satisfaction of Mentally Handicapped Persons Visiting A Day Care

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify the problems of mentally handicapped persons visiting a day care, the subjective quality of life and highlighted factors were analyzed in 59 subjects through questionnaire, interview and participated observation.As a result, it was shown that;1. the persons who had stayed in hospitals evaluated the life satisfaction more highly than those who hadn't, 2. the satisfaction of mental function was different depending on diseases, 3. the persons who had lodgers and advisers, especially those who had family members or friends other than clinic members as an adviser evaluated the life satisfaction more highly, 4. the persons who had cooked by themselves more than once a week evaluated mental function of the life satisfaction more highly and the persons whose families cooked evaluated physical function of the life satisfaction more highly, 5. the satisfaction of failure acceptance was generally low and the persons who evaluated it more highly evaluated the life satisfaction more highly.From these findings, it is suggested that the factors of human relations, self-esteem and the concept of self-cognition appear to have great influences on the life satisfaction, and that the support care for these factors are important.