Relationship between Self-Handicapping and Social Supports with Quality of Life in Blind Individuals

one of the most common groups with impairment is visually impaired individuals whose disability and visual impairment severely affected their quality of life. Life quality of visually impaired individuals has been considered and emphasized as one of the rehabilitation goals by experts with special needs. Of the most important objectives of research conducted on quality life is attention to and identification of variables that affecting prediction and explanation of their quality of life. Variables considered in this research include social support and self-handicapping. Based on some references self-handicapping has a negative correlation with the quality of life of visually impaired individuals and social support has positive correlation with their quality of life. Self-handicapping means creating or claiming an obstacle for successful performance, which in the case of a failure, these obstacles are considered as causes of the failure. Social support is a source of assistance and support from individuals, social groups and society, which is defined as a strategy to deal with stressful lives by recalling assistance from social networks. The aim of the present study was to explain the relationship of self-handicapping and social support with quality of life of visually impaired individuals. The study design was a correlational research. Population of the present study consisted of visually impaired individuals aged from 15 to 35 years in cities of Isfahan and Shiraz (center and south of Iran). A number consisting 135 individuals were selected as participants via the convenience sampling technique. Then, they completed questionnaires. Inclusion criteria was confirmed visual impairment, no alertness or mental disorder, not suffering from other chronic diseases, tendency to participate in the study. In addition, exclusion criterion was incomplete questionnaires. Finally, by removing incomplete questionnaires, a number of 128 copies of questionnaires were statistically analyzed. To collect data, the quality of life in visually impaired people questionnaire, self-handicapping scale, and social support questionnaire were employed. To analyze the data, regression coefficient and multiple regression were used. Findings of the study showed that there was a significant positive correlation between social support and life quality of visually impaired individuals and more support increased the quality of life more (p<0.01). In addition, there was a significant negative correlation between behavioral self-management and life quality of visually impaired individuals (p<0.01). Moreover, there was a significant negative correlation between self-actualization and the life quality of these individuals (p<0.05). Results of multiple regression analysis indicated that social support plays a significant role in predicting the life quality of visually impaired individuals. Claimed and behavioral self-handicapping which had no significant roles therefore excluded from the model. It seems that visually impaired individuals’ expectations in the support dimension focus more on emotional needs and positive relationships than on pessimistic behaviors that instill disability. In addition, these individuals avoid entering to chances and opportunities of life through self-handicapping mechanisms. Therefore, become more passive and ultimately experiences lower quality of life over time. According to results, development of rehabilitation services for increasing social support and application of interventions for reducing self-handicapping in visually impaired individuals is highly recommended. In addition, need to intervention programs based on the increase in self-esteem of visually impaired individuals should be considered. Furthermore, with the aim of reinforcing the social support network among those individuals, developed programs should be designed. Additionally, relative particularly family members of visually impaired individuals should have more awareness and sensitivity to social support.