Psychosocial development among adolescents with visual impairment

Abstract The psychosocial development of adolescents with visual impairment was studied in a group of 54 adolescents (40 boys, 14 girls) attending Finnish regular schools. Mean age was 14.0 (SD 0.87). The control group consisted of normally sighted adolescents of the same age level (N=385, 172 boys, 213 girls). Data were collected with self-report questionnaires. Results indicated that the adolescent group with visual impairment did not differ from the control group in the frequency of depression, distress symptoms or in their relations with parents and siblings. Adolescents with visual impairment less often had many friends and dates with other young people than those without visual impairment. They also reported more often feelings of loneliness and difficulties in making friends. Self-esteem, school achievement and social skills were lower in girls with visual impairment than in the control girls. In summary, our results showed that the psychosocial developmental outcomes of many adolescents with visual impairment were similar to their peers without visual impairment. However, some adolescents with visual impairment, especially girls, need more support in their psychosocial development.

[1]  Lynda Clarke,et al.  Disability in Adolescence , 1982 .

[2]  Philip Graham,et al.  A Neuropsychiatric Study in Childhood , 1971 .

[3]  M. D. Wesolowski.  Differences in Sizes of Social Networks of Rehabilitation Clients versus Those of Nonclients. , 1987 .

[4]  M. A. Stephens,et al.  Social support in college life for disabled students. , 1984 .

[5]  Vincent B. Van Hasselt,et al.  Social adaptation in the blind , 1983 .

[6]  R. Gaylord-Ross,et al.  Peer-Mediated and teacher-directed social skills training for visually impaired students * , 1989 .

[7]  H. Aro,et al.  The impact of timing of puberty on psychosomatic symptoms among fourteen- to sixteen-year-old Finnish girls. , 1987, Child development.

[8]  S. Aro.  Stress, morbidity, and health-related behaviour. A five-year follow-up study among metal industry employees. , 1981, Scandinavian journal of social medicine. Supplementum.

[9]  H. Aro.  Parental discord, divorce and adolescent development , 2004, European archives of psychiatry and neurological sciences.

[10]  A. S. Eaglestein.  The Social Acceptance of Blind High School Students in an Integrated School , 1975 .

[11]  P. Szatmari,et al.  Chronic illness, disability, and mental and social well-being: findings of the Ontario Child Health Study. , 1987, Pediatrics.

[12]  F. Obiakor,et al.  Enhancing Self-Concept in Students with Visual Handicaps , 1989 .

[13]  J L Matson,et al.  Development of a rating scale to measure social skills in children: the Matson Evaluation of Social Skills with Youngsters (MESSY). , 1983, Behaviour research and therapy.

[14]  R. Reinecke.  Visual Impairment in Children and Adolescents , 1978 .

[15]  J. Matson,et al.  Assessing Social Behaviors in the Visually Handicapped: The Matson Evaluation of Social Skills with Youngsters (MESSY) , 1986 .

[16]  R. Bussing,et al.  Youth with chronic conditions and their transition to adulthood. Findings from a Finnish cohort study. , 1996, Archives of pediatrics & adolescent medicine.

[17]  J. Wardle,et al.  Body size, parental appraisal, and self-esteem in blind children. , 1996, Journal of child psychology and psychiatry, and allied disciplines.

[18]  M. Hersen,et al.  Assessment of Problem Behavior in Visually Handicapped Adolescents , 1986 .

[19]  M. Hersen,et al.  Psychological Adjustment of Visually Handicapped Children and Youth , 1986 .

[20]  M. Hersen,et al.  A behavioral-analytic model for assessing social skills in blind adolescents. , 1985, Behaviour research and therapy.

[21]  R. Blum,et al.  Emotional well-being among adolescents with and without chronic conditions. , 1994, The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine.

[22]  S. Gortmaker,et al.  Chronic conditions, socioeconomic risks, and behavioral problems in children and adolescents. , 1990, Pediatrics.

[23]  C. Stocker.  Children's perceptions of relationships with siblings, friends, and mothers: compensatory processes and links with adjustment. , 1994, Journal of child psychology and psychiatry, and allied disciplines.

[24]  Deborah L. Coates,et al.  Gender differences in the structure and support characteristics of black adolescents' social networks , 1987 .

[25]  John P. Hill,et al.  Early adolescents' significant others: Grade and gender differences in perceived relationships with familial and nonfamilial adults and young people , 1982, Journal of youth and adolescence.

[26]  E. Mcanarney,et al.  Social maturation. A challenge for handicapped and chronically ill adolescents. , 1985, Journal of adolescent health care : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine.

[27]  O. Paronen,et al.  Social support, life events and psychosomatic symptoms among 14-16-year-old adolescents. , 1989, Social science & medicine.