Self-Growth and Sustainability for Differently-abled Rural Students

Differently-abled individuals are an integral part of our society. Disabilities can have profound effects on a person's mental and physical health, social relationships, and independence. Research has shown that adolescents and youths with disabilities often face social difficulties such as stigma, prejudice, and unrealistic attitudes. Family and social support play a crucial role in mitigating these challenges and improving self-esteem and self-confidence.

Impact of Disabilities

Disabilities can affect individuals in various ways, including difficulties with dexterity, movement, hearing, and vision. Adolescents and youths with disabilities may experience social isolation, low self-esteem, and lack of self-confidence. Studies have shown that supportive parental attitudes and family support can significantly reduce the impact of psychological problems among differently-abled students.

Role of Family and Social Support

Family support has been found to be a strong resiliency factor against poor mental health outcomes. Lack of familial support, especially in rural areas, can lead to low self-esteem and self-confidence among differently-abled individuals. Positive treatment from parents and family members can enhance self-esteem, while negative treatment can lead to serious consequences such as lack of self-confidence and low self-esteem.

Research Findings

Several studies have highlighted the importance of social support in enhancing self-esteem among differently-abled individuals. For instance, relationships with peers have been found to significantly improve self-esteem among visually impaired adolescents. Similarly, supportive parental attitudes and family support have been shown to reduce the impact of psychological problems among differently-abled students.

Studies have also found that physically handicapped males tend to have higher self-esteem compared to females. However, other studies have reported no significant gender differences in self-esteem among physically disabled individuals. The role of parents and teachers in the development of identity, moral judgment, and social interaction among children with disabilities has also been emphasized.

Conclusion

It is evident from the literature review that family and social support play a significant role in improving the self-esteem and self-confidence of differently-abled individuals. However, there is a need for more research, particularly on orthopedically disabled individuals in rural areas, to better understand their unique challenges and develop effective support systems.

Objectives

The present study aimed to investigate:

1. The relationship of family support with self-esteem and self-confidence among differently-abled students belonging to rural areas, whose orthopedic disability ranges between 40 to 70 percent.
2. Gender differences in family support, self-esteem, and self-confidence among them.

Hypotheses

1. There is a significant relationship between family support and self-esteem of differently-abled students.
2. There is a significant relationship between family support and self-confidence of differently-abled students.
3. There is a significant difference between male and female differently-abled students in relation to family support.
4. There is a significant difference between male and female differently-abled students in relation to self-esteem.
5. There is a significant difference between male and female differently-abled students in relation to self-confidence.

Research Method

Research Design: An Ex-post facto research design was used.

Sample: A total of 50 differently-abled students (25 boys and 25 girls; age range: 18-20 years; M_age = 19 years) were purposively drawn from Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Institute of Technology for Handicapped, Kanpur. Data collection was done after obtaining consent from the participants.

Tools

Family Support Scale (2004): Developed by Rajneesh, this self-report measure consists of 45 items related to five dimensions of family support: Academic Support, Motivational Support, Emotional Support, Financial Support, and Other Kinds of Support. The reliability of the scale is 0.94, and it has been found to be highly significant and satisfactory in validity.

Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (1965): A 10-item Likert scale with items answered on a four-point rating scale from "strongly agree" to "strongly disagree." The scale has positive and negative scoring. Test-retest reliability ranges from 0.82 to 0.85, and internal consistency ranges from 0.77 to 0.88. Higher scores indicate higher self-esteem.

Self-Confidence Inventory (2012): Developed by Dr. Rekha Gupta, this scale consists of 56 items with two response categories: "right" and "wrong." The test-retest reliability is 0.78, and split-half reliability is 0.91. The validity of the inventory is 0.82. Higher scores indicate lower self-confidence.

Statistical Analysis

Statistical analysis was conducted using mean, standard deviation, t-test, and Pearson’s product-moment correlation.

Results and Discussion

Table 17.1: Family Support and Self-Esteem

Family Support	Self-Esteem
"r"	.791**
P	.000
N	50

** Significant at 0.01 level

There is a positive significant correlation between family support and self-esteem (r = .791**, p = .000). As family support increases, self-esteem also increases.

Table 17.2: Family Support and Self-Confidence

Family Support	Self-Confidence
"r"	-.860**
P	.000
N	50

** Significant at 0.01 level

There is a significant inverse relationship between family support and self-confidence (r = -.860**, p = .000). Higher family support is associated with higher self-confidence.

Table 17.3: Gender Differences in Family Support

Variable	Gender	Mean	S.D	"t" Value	P Value	Level of Significance
Family Support	Male (N=25)	175.72	22.74	-.950	.347	Not Significant at 0.05 level
	Female (N=25)	181.36	19.06

No significant difference was found between male and female students in terms of family support.

Table 17.4: Gender Differences in Self-Esteem

Variable	Gender	Mean	S.D	"t" Value	P Value	Level of Significance
Self-Esteem	Male (N=25)	18.80	3.02	-2.673	.010	Significant at 0.05 level
	Female (N=25)	20.84	2.32

Female students had significantly higher self-esteem compared to male students.

Table 17.5: Gender Differences in Self-Confidence

Variable	Gender	Mean	S.D	"t" Value	P Value	Level of Significance
Self-Confidence	Male (N=25)	23.64	6.70	1.45	.153	Not Significant at 0.05 level
	Female (N=25)	20.64	7.85

No significant difference was found between male and female students in terms of self-confidence.

Findings

1. Increased family support is associated with higher self-esteem among differently-abled students.
2. Higher family support is linked to higher self-confidence.
3. Female students had significantly higher self-esteem compared to male students.
4. Female students with higher family support exhibited higher self-esteem and self-confidence compared to their male counterparts.

Conclusion

Family support plays a crucial role in enhancing self-esteem and self-confidence among differently-abled students in rural areas. These attributes are essential for personal growth, sustainability, and a decent quality of life. Parents, society, and schools must provide adequate educational, vocational, and psychological support to these students to foster their development.

References

• Rokach, A., et al. (2006). Physical disabilities and their impact on mental health.
• Glover, et al. (2011). Social difficulties faced by adolescents with disabilities.
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• Verma, S., & Srivastava, R. (2021). Family support and mental health outcomes.
• Calvete, E., & Connor-Smith, J. (2006). Resiliency factors in mental health.
• Shultz, J. (1993). Comparative study on self-esteem among physically disabled and normal adolescents.
• Erikki, et al. (1999). Social support and self-esteem among visually impaired individuals.
• United States Census Bureau (2003). Statistics on youth with disabilities.
• Nair, R., & Singh, A. (2014). Gender differences in self-esteem among physically disabled adolescents.
• Jamadar, S., & Manjula, M. (2013). Self-esteem among physically disabled individuals.
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• Pinquart, M., & Pfeiffer, J. (2013). Social interaction and moral judgment among children with disabilities.
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• Owens, T. (1993). Components of self-esteem.
• Mishra, S., & Singh, A. (2012). Self-concept among visually impaired students.
• Kumar, R., & Verma, S. (2019). Emotional maturity and self-confidence among physically disabled students.

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