AUTHOR=Cegarra Blanca , Cattaneo Gabriele , Ribes Alina , Solana-Sánchez Javier , Saurí Joan 

TITLE=Independent living, emotional well-being, and quality of life in people with disabilities: the mediator role of self-determination and satisfaction with participation

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychology

VOLUME=14

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1279014

DOI=10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1279014

ISSN=1664-1078

ABSTRACT=<sec id="sec1"><title>Background</title><p>In the field of disability and rehabilitation, <italic>participation in society</italic> has become an important therapeutic objective due to its potential impact on rehabilitation, prognosis, and patient’s mid and long-term well-being. However, only a few studies have explored this issue in relation with the subjective perspective of individuals with disabilities about their decision-making capacity and satisfaction with the activities in which they participate.</p></sec><sec id="sec2"><title>Objective</title><p>Our aim is to analyze the relationship between <italic>participation</italic> in society of people with disabilities and both emotional well-being and quality of life, including variables about subjective perspective of <italic>participation</italic> (satisfaction) and the ability to decide and pursue their own preferences.</p></sec><sec id="sec3"><title>Method</title><p>The cross-sectional study presented here includes 424 participants with disabilities over 18-years-old from Spain. This research is part of a larger ongoing longitudinal cohort study called <italic>Participa</italic> (<ext-link xlink:href="https://participa.guttmann.com/en/" ext-link-type="uri" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">https://participa.guttmann.com/en/</ext-link>). Participants were asked to complete several on-line surveys to explore quality of life, emotional well-being, <italic>participation</italic> in society, self-determination, and independent living.</p></sec><sec id="sec4"><title>Results</title><p>The results revealed an association between the dimensions of participation satisfaction, self-determination, and levels of independent living with both quality of life and emotional well-being. Mediation models indicated that satisfaction and self-determination partially mediated the relationship between independent living and both quality of life and emotional well-being.</p></sec><sec id="sec5"><title>Conclusion</title><p>The level of independent living, self-determination, and satisfaction with <italic>participation</italic> are fundamental aspects for promoting a high quality of life and emotional well-being in people with disabilities. These findings carry significant implications for health and social services, as well as policies guidelines, highlighting the need to prioritize empowerment and self-determination in all interventions designed for people with disabilities.</p></sec>