The interaction between knowledge and quality of contact to predict Saudi university students' attitudes toward people with intellectual disability

Healthcare providers' attitudes toward individuals with intellectual disabilities: Implications for education and practice in Saudi Arabia

BACKGROUND

Healthcare providers' attitudes toward individuals with intellectual disabilities significantly impact healthcare experiences and outcomes. Understanding and addressing these attitudes is crucial for social inclusion and improving the quality of life for individuals with intellectual disabilities.

AIM

This study examines the attitudes of healthcare providers towards individuals with intellectual disabilities, focusing on how these attitudes affect healthcare experiences and outcomes.

METHODS

Data were gathered from 284 healthcare service providers, such as doctors, nurses, and other staff, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

RESULTS

The findings show notable disparities in discomfort levels across various job roles besides the impact of familiarity and quality of contact with individuals with ID.

IMPLICATIONS

The study suggests that specific educational programs could enhance attitudes and knowledge among healthcare providers, ultimately leading to improved healthcare results for individuals with intellectual disabilities.

Attitudes towards persons with disabilities vs. personality traits of Polish students

Objective

The study aimed to establish the relationship between attitudes towards persons with disabilities and personality traits among Polish students, and whether sociodemographic factors moderate this.

Methods

A cross-sectional self-report online survey was conducted on 595 Polish students, aged 18-29, from different fields of study: 1) natural science and engineering technology; 2) social science and humanities; 3) medical and health sciences; 4) law, economics, and management. Polish adaptations of the scales were used in the study: Multidimensional Attitudes Scale Towards Persons With Disabilities (MAS) and the Ten Item Personality Inventory (TIPI).

Results

A significant correlation was demonstrated between attitudes towards individuals with physical disabilities and a range of personality traits, including agreeableness, extroversion, conscientiousness, and openness, among Polish students. The strongest attitude predictors were openness to experience, agreeableness, and extraversion, with correlation coefficients ranging from -0.06 to -0.19, -0.14 to -0.22, and -0.09 to -0.15, respectively. As scores increased in these personality traits, attitudes towards people with disabilities became more positive. However, conscientiousness (-0.07 to -0.09) and emotional stability (-0.02 to 0.12) were poor predictors. The supplementary analyses indicate that contact with a person with a disability and socio-demographic factors, such as gender, age, place of residence, mode, and field of study, assessment of one's health, and material conditions, did not moderate the relationships between personality dimensions and attitudes towards persons with disability.

Conclusion

Polish students' attitudes towards individuals with physical disabilities are associated with personality traits such as agreeableness, extraversion, conscientiousness, and openness. However, the strength of these relationships is relatively weak. This relationship is not moderated by contact with a person with a disability or sociodemographic factors. It seems that undertaking educational interventions to strengthen the indicated personality traits is particularly important. The results indicate the need for further research into factors that modulate attitudes towards persons with disabilities, including a theoretical deepening of the problem and cultural aspects.

The Impact of Stress from Social Isolation during the COVID-19 Pandemic on Psychiatric Disorders: An Analysis from the Scientific Literature

The COVID-19 pandemic generated, in addition to severe symptoms, hospitalizations and deaths worldwide, as well as stress from the fear of the disease and social uncertainties, from restriction measures and social isolation. Stress from social isolation impacts mental health, aggravating existing conditions and triggering neuropsychiatric symptoms in individuals with biopsychosocial vulnerability. During and immediately after the period of social restriction imposed by the pandemic, the scientific community carried out several research protocols. These revealed results that relevantly demonstrate the harmful effect of the stress induced by the pandemic situation. This narrative review reports and discusses research results demonstrating impairments in psychiatric disorders such as autism spectrum disorder, dementia, eating disorders, schizophrenia, anxiety, and depression. In this sense, the community has identified a significant negative influence of social isolation on the mental health of individuals through the modification of individual routines and the absence of social interactions. Moreover, the community identified perceived differences related to the impacts on men and women. In addition to studies showing the effect of social isolation on disorders, an evaluation of protocols with some possible therapeutic intervention strategies during times of social restriction was developed.

Physical education teachers' attitudes toward inclusion of students with disabilities in Saudi Arabia

The attitudes of physical education (PE) teachers toward inclusion are critical to the successful provision of inclusive teaching for students with disabilities. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the attitudes of Saudi Arabian PE teachers toward the inclusion of students with disabilities in PE classes and the effect of sociodemographic variables (e.g., gender and length of teaching experience) on their attitudes toward inclusion. A total of 1,314 PE teachers (M _age = 41.09, SD = 9.40, females = 42.8%) completed the Arabic version of the Sentiments, Attitudes, and Concerns about Inclusive Education-Revised Scale (SACIE-R). Analyses found that, in general, PE teachers had moderately positive attitudes toward the inclusion of students with disabilities in PE lessons. A significant difference was found between the two genders in their attitudes toward inclusion. Specifically, female PE teachers demonstrated more positive attitudes toward inclusion than males. Multiple linear regression analysis, meanwhile, showed that the length of teaching experience and the experience of teaching a student with a disability were significant predictors of participants' attitudes toward inclusion. Our findings highlighted the importance of reconsidering the quality of PE teachers' experiences and interactions with students with disabilities as a means to improving their attitudes, which in turn would translate into successful inclusion.

Factors associated with workers' attitudes towards employment of persons with intellectual disabilities in Saudi Arabia

BACKGROUND

Persons with intellectual disabilities have the right to pursue and acquire gainful employment and thereby obtain the psychological, social and economic benefits derived from employment.

AIMS

This study aimed to examine workers' attitudes towards and perspectives with respect to the challenges of employing persons with intellectual disabilities.

METHOD

The sample was composed of 168 persons (60% male). Participants responded to a questionnaire that assessed their attitudes towards working with persons with intellectual disabilities (ATWQ) and a challenges questionnaire (CHQ).

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION

This study found that familiarity (frequency of contact) and having a previous work experience with someone with an intellectual disability were positively associated with workers' attitudes towards employing persons with intellectual disabilities. Furthermore, owners and supervisors were more reluctant to accept the practice of employing persons with intellectual disabilities than were employees. No differences were found by gender. Implications based on the findings are discussed herein.

The positive impact of knowledge and quality of contact on university students' attitudes towards people with intellectual disability in the Arab world

BACKGROUND

This study examines undergraduate students' attitudes towards people with intellectual disability (PWID) in relation to their frequency of contact with people with intellectual disability, the quality of this contact, and their knowledge of intellectual disability (ID).

METHOD

The study sample comprised 1001 undergraduate students (458 male students [46 %]; 543 female students [54 %]; mean age = 20.6 years) from Saudi Arabia and Egypt. The Arabic version of the Mental Retardation Attitude Inventory-Revised (MRAI-R) was used to examine attitudes towards PWID.

RESULTS

Knowledge about ID, quality of contact with PWID, and gender were significant predictors of attitudes. Frequency of contact, as well as having relatives with a disability, were not significant predictors of attitudes. No differences were found between participants from the two countries.

CONCLUSION

The results of the study indicate that high-quality contact is a major predictor of students' attitudes. Therefore, society needs to ensure more than just simple forms of contact between people with and without disabilities.