Features of self-attitude and attitude to the future in adolescents with disabilities

Introduction. The study of self-attitude and attitude to the future among adolescents with disabilities is relevant and can be useful for organizing psychological assistance. Positive self-esteem is the basis of self-respect, positive self-awareness of everyone, including people with disabilities. Adolescents with disabilities often exhibit clearly expressed and consistently reduced self-esteem and self-respect, negative self-awareness, which weakens the individual’s ability to actively adapt in life and realize personal potential, as well as forecast future plans. The novelty of the research lies in identifying the features of self-attitude and future orientation among adolescents with disabilities studying in a general education school.

Objective. To study the features of self-attitude and attitude to the future among adolescents with disabilities.

Materials and Methods. The study involved 60 adolescents aged 12 to 15 years with various types of health impairments and without impairments, studying in a general education school. To assess self-attitude, the self-attitude test questionnaire was used (V.V. Stolin, S.R. Pantileev), the methodology for studying the features of the self-concept and self-attitude (E. Pierce, D. Harris, A.M. Prikhozhan). To measure the attitude towards the future, the Dispositional Optimism Test (DOT) was used (T.O. Gordeeva, O.A. Sychev, E.N. Osin).

Results. Indicators on the scales of expected attitude from others, attitude of others, and self-interest are significantly higher among adolescents with disabilities compared to typically developing adolescents. Adolescents with disabilities show more pronounced indicators of anxiety, positive perception of the school situation, and satisfaction with the family situation. Adolescents from both groups express more negative expectations, focusing on the anticipation that bad events are more likely to happen in the future than good ones, accompanied by certain difficulties and trials.

Discussion. The data obtained in the study can be used in the psychological support of adolescents with disabilities studying in a general education school, particularly in group correction aimed at forming adequate positive self-esteem and level of aspirations, as well as optimal socio-psychological adaptation.

1. Andreeva, I. G. (2016). Research of features of the teenagers' self-relation. Psychological-pedagogical journal gaudeamus, 15(2), 12–18. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.20310/1810-231X-2016-15-2-87-93

2. Arestova, O. N., & Bogacheva, N. V. (2013). Features of self-attitude in adolescents in adolescents and young men with myopia. Bulletin of the Moscow University. Episode 14. Psychology,4, 92–105. (In Russ.)

3. Dunaevskaya, E. B. (2018). Features of self-attitude of adolescents studying in the system of inclusive education. Problems of Modern Pedagogical Education, 60-3, 419–421. (In Russ.)

4. Golikova A.A., & Kuchinskiy V.F. (2015). Self-attitude in adolescents with different severity of visual impairment. Modern problems of science and education, 4. (In Russ.)

5. Ferro, M. A., Dol, M., Patte, K. A., Leatherdale, S. T., & Shanahan, L. (2023). Self-concept in Adolescents with Physical-Mental Comorbidity. Journal of multimorbidity and comorbidity, 13, 26335565231211475. https://doi.org/10.1177/26335565231211475

6. Izvolskaya, A. A. (2012). Self-attitude of schoolchildren with hearing disorders in special and integrated education [PhD thesis]. Moscow City Psychological and Pedagogical University. (In Russ.)

7. Kazakova, L. А. (2020). Creating inclusive educational environment conditions that stimulate adolescents with health disabilities to develop life goals. Herzen Readings: Psychological Research in Education, 3, 315–321. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.33910/herzenpsyconf-2020-3-61

8. Kireeva T.I. (2020). Socio-psychological adaptation and self-attitude of adolescents with scoliosis. International research journal, 11-2 (101), 140–143. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.23670/irj.2020.101.11.059

9. Kislykh, A. A., & Ralnikova, I. A. (2023) Attitude to future and attitude to disease in adolescents with insulin-dependent diabetes. Theoretical and experimental psychology, 16(3), 162–181. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.11621/TEP-23-24

10. Kupchenko, V. E. (2025). The influence of child-parent relations on the self-attitude of a child with disabilities. Herald of Omsk University. Series: psychology, 1, 26–36. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.24147/2410-6364.2025.1.26-36

11. Khazova, S. А., & Shipova, N. S. (2020). I-concept and personal characteristics of adolescents with disabled development. Vestnik of Kostroma State University. Series: Pedagogy. Psychology. Sociokinetics., 26(4), 98–104. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.34216/2073-1426-2020-26-4-98-104

12. Kirby, A. V., Diener, M. L, Dean, E. E., Darlington, A. N., Myers, A., & Henderson J. (2022). Autistic adolescents’ and their parents’ visions for the future: how aligned are they? Autism Adulthood, 4(1), 32–41. https://doi.org/10.1089/aut.2020.0061

13. Kirby, A. V., Dell’armo, K., & Persch, A. (2019). Differences in youth and parent postsecondary expectations for youth with disabilities. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 51(1), 77–86. https://doi.org/10.3233/jvr-191027

14. Mirakyan, K.F., Kuznetsova, A.A. & Kameneva, T.N. (2023). Features of Temporal Perspective in Hearing Impaired Children of Older Adolescence. Society: sociology, psychology, pedagogics, 10, 68–75. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.24158/spp.2023.10.9

15. Michael, R., Cinamon, R. G., & Most, T. (2015). What Shapes Adolescents' Future Perceptions? The Effects of Hearing Loss, Social Affiliation, and Career Self-Efficacy. Journal of deaf studies and deaf education, 20(4), 399–407. https://doi.org/10.1093/deafed/env023

16. Musetti, A., Eboli, G., Cavallini, F., & Corsano, P. (2019). Social relationships, self-esteem, and loneliness in adolescents with learning disabilities. Clinical Neuropsychiatry, 16(4), 165–172.

17. Pantileev, S. R. (2000). Self-attitude. In Psychology of Self-awareness. Anthology (Pp. 208–242). BAHRAH-M. (In Russ.)

18. Pantileev, S. R., & Stolin, V. V. (2003). Methodology of self-attitude research. Bulletin of the Moscow University. Series 14: Psychology, 1, 77–81. (In Russ.)

19. Pyatakova, G.V, Osipova, A.V, Zorin, V.I, Bril, M.S, Baindurashvili, A.G. (2024). Attitude to the future in adolescents with consequences of severe physical trauma. Physiсal and Rehabilitation Medicine, 6(1), 31–41. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.26211/2658-4522-2024-6-1-31-41

20. Peryshkova, S. A., Malinina, M. V., and Trunina, A. S. (2022). Features of psychological counseling for parents of children with disabilities. Science and Education, 5(4). (In Russ.)

21. O'Connor, C., Kadianaki, I., Maunder, K., & McNicholas, F. (2018). How does psychiatric diagnosis affect young people's self-concept and social identity? A systematic review and synthesis of the qualitative literature. Social Science & Medicine, 212, 94–119. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2018.07.011

22. Sims, R., Michaleff, Z. A., Glasziou, P., & Thomas, R. (2021). Consequences of a diagnostic label: a systematic scoping review and thematic framework. Frontiers In Public Health, 9, 725877. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2021.725877

23. Shandra C. L. (2011). Life-course transitions among adolescents with and without disabilities: a longitudinal examination of expectations and outcomes. International Journal of Sociology, 41(1), 67–86. https://doi.org/10.2753/IJS0020-7659410104

24. Voronova, О. V., & Gudzovskaya, А. А. (2020). Socio-pedagogical activity aimed at formation of self-attitude of senior pupils with hearing impairment. Special Education, 1 (57), 5–16. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.26170/sp20-01-01