Abstract
Background : The differently-abled persons are an integral part of our society. Many studies reported that supportive parental attitudes and family support serve as a strong resiliency factor against poor mental health outcomes. It is found that inequality and less or no familial support felt by the differently-abled students belonging to rural area lead them to develop low self-esteem as well as low self-confidence, which eventually keep them away from main stream of society. Objective : The present study aimed to investigate the relationship of family support with self-esteem and self-confidence among differently-abled students belonging to rural area, whose orthopedic disability ranges between 40 to 70 percent. Another objective of the present study was to find out gender difference in family support, self-esteem and self-confidence among them. Method : To fulfill the aims,50 disabled students (25 males and 25 females, age range=18-20 years, Mage=19 years) were selected from Dr. Ambedkar institute of Technology for Handicapped, Kanpur. Family support scale by Rajneesh, self-esteem scale developed by Rosenberg and self-confidence inventory developed by Gupta were administered on participants after their consent. Data analysis was done by applying Pearson’s Product Moment correlation and ‘t’ test in SPSS software. Results: Findings revealed a significant positive correlation in family support with self-esteem and self-confidence among the participants, whereas no significant difference was found between male and female differently-abled students in terms of family support and self-confidence. Significant difference was found between male and female differently-abled students in terms of self-esteem. Conclusion : It is concluded that adequate familial support enables the differently-abled students coming from rural area in developing self-esteem and self-confidence, which is essential for self-growth, sustainability and decent living. Keywords: Family support, Self-esteem, Self-confidence, Differently-abled students.
Introduction
The differently-abled persons are an integral part of our society but disablement is one of the hardest effect as differently-abled persons seriously don’t understand why each person else is normal in which they aren’t. Disablement affects a person in different ways-it impacts his mental/Physical health, social relationship with family, friends & neighbors’ and also his independence in performing normal activities eg. walking, driving etc. Physical disabilities may cause difficulty with dexterity, movement, hearing and vision (Rokach,et.al.2006). Research has proven that adolescents and youths with disabilities may face many social difficulties, including stigma, unrealistic attitudes; and prejudice (Glover, et.al,2011; Groce, 2004). Support from family and friends have been found to reduce the impact of psychological problem among differently-abled students. (Calvete and connor-smith,2006). Many studies reported that supportive parental attitudes and family support serve as a strong resiliency factor against poor mental health outcomes. It is found that inequality and less or no familial support felt by the differently-abled students belonging to rural area lead them to develop low self-esteem as well as low self-confidence, which eventually keep them away from main stream of society. Self-esteem may be positive or negative depending on how one perceives himself and the way s/he is treated by the significant others with whom one interacts. The significant others include parents, family members, friends etc. It is observed that if parents treat their children in a negative manner, the results may be serious .As a consequence of it ,lack of self-confidence, low self-esteem etc. is observed in them. Consistent finding was reported by Shultz (1993). He conducted a comparative study on self-esteem among physically disabled and normal adolescents. Females with physical disabilities were found to be lower in self-esteem. Erkki,Taina,et.al, (1999) researched on social support and self-esteem among young people with impairment in visual that include blind and have low vision. This particular study says that relationships with pals contributed to a greater extent to the enhancement of the level of self-esteem of the young people with non-sighted individuals. Hence it is evident that peers play an important role here because it has been found that many adolescents with visual impairments have problems relating to peers and they may be completely isolated from friends-list and from smaller social networks by the sighted young teens so this study clearly shows that with the help of friends, the self of visually impaired young people can really be moulded and it can enhance the self-esteem. United states census bureau (2003) reported that about 5.2 million American youth, aged 5 to 20 had some long term physical, mental or emotional disabling condition, and apart from it low self-esteem was found among those disabled. Nair& Anuradha (2014) found no gender difference in self-esteem of physically disabled late adolescents. Consistent finding was reported by Jamadar& Manjula (2013). Liqqat&Akram(2014) found significant difference in the level of self-esteem among male and female physically handicapped and results showed that physically handicapped male scored higher in self-esteem as compared to physically handicapped females. Nemcek (2013) studied people with different kind of disability and reported higher self-esteem in women than men. Parents’ and teachers’ role in the development of identity, moral judgment, social interaction, and physical self-behaviour among children with visually impaired was found to be important (Bowen,2010;Pinquart & Pfeiffer, 2013). Shawareb (2005) found high level of self-esteem associated with higher level of social support among visually impaired students. Hence it is evident that self-esteem and self-confidence are important psychological attributes for personal growth in the quest to become productive citizen in society; therefore attaining and keeping self-esteem and self-confidence is highly valued (Cast & Burke,2002). Components of self-esteem include self-confidence ( Owens,1993).Without self-esteem and self-confidence the possibility of leading a successful productive life decreases. For children with disabilities, self-esteem and self-confidence are crucial elements for their success, as these feelings of frustration and experiences of reported failure, students with disabilities may experience low self-esteem and lack of self-confidence, since it is generally believed that self-esteem and self-confidence results from successful experiences. Mishra and Singh (2012) found significant lower self-concept among students with visually impaired. No significant differences in self-concept between boys and girls was found .The majority of students with visually impaired had average self-confidence in comparison to greater self-confidence among sighted participants. A study conducted by Kumar & Verma (2019) reported positive significant relationship between emotional maturity and self-confidence among physically disabled students. It is evident from literature review that family support plays a significant role in improving the self-esteem and self-confidence level in people with disabilities. But very few studies on orthopedically disabled persons belonging to rural area has been done so far. Hence the present study aimed to investigate the relationship of family support with self-esteem and self-confidence among differently-abled students belonging to rural area, whose orthopedic disability ranges between 40 to 70 percent. Another objective of the present study was to find out gender difference in family support, self-esteem and self-confidence among them.
Hypotheses
- H1: There is a significant relationship between family support and self-esteem of differently-abled students.
- H2: There is a significant relationship between family support and self-confidence of differently-abled students.
- H3: There is a significant difference between male and female differently-abled students in relation to family support.
- H4: There is a significant difference between male and female differently-abled students in relation to self-esteem.
- H5: There is a significant difference between male and female differently-abled students in relation to self-confidence.
Method
Design & Sample
Ex-post facto design with purposive sampling of 50 students (25M/25F, age 18-20) from Dr. Ambedkar Institute of Technology for Handicapped, Kanpur.
Tools
- Family Support Scale (Rajneesh, 2004; α=.94)
- Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (1965; α=.85)
- Self-Confidence Inventory (Gupta, 2012; α=.78)
| Variables | r-value | p-value | N |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family Support & Self-Esteem | .791** | .000 | 50 |
Interpretation
A strong positive correlation (r=.791) exists between family support and self-esteem. This indicates that as family support increases, self-esteem scores improve significantly (p<.01). The result supports Hypothesis 1.
| Variables | r-value | p-value | N |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family Support & Self-Confidence | -.860** | .000 | 50 |
Interpretation
The negative correlation (r=-.860) reflects the inverse scoring of Gupta's Self-Confidence Inventory. This strong relationship (p<.01) indicates higher family support associates with better self-confidence, supporting Hypothesis 2.
| Gender | Mean | SD | t-value | p-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male (n=25) | 175.72 | 22.74 | -0.95 | .347 |
| Female (n=25) | 181.36 | 19.06 |
Interpretation
No significant gender difference in family support (t=-0.95, p>.05). Both genders reported similar support levels, leading to rejection of Hypothesis 3.
| Gender | Mean | SD | t-value | p-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male (n=25) | 18.80 | 3.02 | -2.67 | .010 |
| Female (n=25) | 20.84 | 2.32 |
Interpretation
Significant gender difference in self-esteem (t=-2.67, p<.05). Female students showed 10.8% higher self-esteem scores, supporting Hypothesis 4.
| Gender | Mean | SD | t-value | p-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male (n=25) | 23.64 | 6.70 | 1.45 | .153 |
| Female (n=25) | 20.64 | 7.85 |
Interpretation
No significant gender difference in self-confidence (t=1.45, p>.05). Hypothesis 5 is rejected. The mean difference (3 points) suggests males reported slightly lower confidence but not statistically significant.
Findings
- Family support explains 62% variance in self-esteem (R²=.62)
- Female students show 11% higher self-esteem scores
- 86% self-confidence variance linked to family support
Conclusion
The study confirms family support's crucial role in psychological well-being of rural differently-abled students. Gender-specific interventions needed, particularly for male students showing lower self-esteem despite comparable support.
Implications
- Develop family education programs emphasizing emotional support
- Implement gender-sensitive counseling in rural schools
- Integrate family support metrics in disability assessments
- Train teachers in strength-based pedagogical approaches
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