This article presents research derived from a nationwide study conducted at the University of Amsterdam into the psychosocial adjustment and the meaning of social support for Dutch adolescents with visual impairments. The findings indicate that social support, especially the support of peers, is important to adolescents with visual impairments. The differences between visually impaired and sighted adolescents proved to be small, but significant.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
ArbuckleJ. L. (1995). Amos users manual.Chicago: Smallwaters.
2.
BuysseW. (1997). Personal social networks and behavior problems in adolescence.Leiden: Grafisch Bedrijf.
3.
CantrillH. (1965). The pattern of human concerns.New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press.
4.
CauceA. M., & SrebnikD. S. (1990). Returning to social support systems: A morphological analysis of social networks. American Journal of Community Psychology, 18, 609–616.
5.
Chien-Huey ChangS., & SchallerJ. (2000). Perspectives of adolescents with visual impairments on social support from their parents. Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 94, 69–84.
6.
CouperM. P., & GrovesR. M. (1992). Interviewer reactions to alternative hardware for computer assisted personal interviewing. Journal of Official Statistics, 8, 201–210.
7.
De Jong-GierveldJ., & KamphuisF. (1985). The development of a Rasch-type loneliness scale. Applied Psychological Measurement, 9, 282–299.
8.
De LeeuwE. D., HoxJ. J., KefS., & Van HattumM. (1997). Overcoming the problems of special interviews on sensitive topics: Computer assisted self-interviewing tailored for young children and adolescents (pp. 1–14). Sequim, WA: Sawtooth Software.
9.
De LeeuwE. D., HoxJ. J., & SnijkersG. (1995). The effect of computer-assisted interviewing on data quality: A review. Journal of the Market Research Society, 37, 325–344.
10.
DoddsA. G., FergusonE., FlanniganL. N. H., HawesG., & YatesL. (1994). The concept of adjustment: A structural model. Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 88, 487–497.
11.
FurmanW., & BuhrmeisterD. (1992). Age and sex differences in perceptions of networks of personal relationships. Child development, 63, 103–115.
12.
HoxJ. J. (1988). An introduction to structural equation modeling (MLS publication 63). Amsterdam: University of Amsterdam.
13.
HuurreT. (2000). Psychosocial development and social support among adolescents with visual impairment.Tampere, Finland: University of Tampere.
14.
HuurreT. M., & AroH. M. (1998). Psychosocial development among adolescents with visual impairment. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 7, 73–78.
15.
HuurreT. M., KomulainenE. J., & AroH. M. (1996). Social networks and social support among adolescents with visual impairments. Journal of Social Medicine, 33, 113–120.
16.
HuurreT. M., KomulainenE.J., & AroH. M. (1999). Social support and self-esteem among adolescents with visual impairments. Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 93, 26–37.
17.
KefS. (1997). The personal networks and social supports of blind and visually impaired adolescents. Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 91, 236–244.
18.
KefS. (1999). Outlook on relations: Personal networks and psychosocial characteristics of visually impaired adolescents.Amsterdam: Thelathesis.
19.
KefS., HoxJ. J., & HabekotheH. T. (2000). Social networks of visually impaired and blind adolescents: Structure and effect on well-being. Social Networks, 22, 73–91.
LyonsR. F., SullivanM. J. L., & RitvoP. G. (1995). Relationships in chronic illness and Disability.Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
22.
PeetsmaT. T. D. (1992). Toekomst als motor? Toekomstperspectieven van leerlingen in het voortgezet onderwijs en hun inzet voor school[The future as an engine? Perspectives of the future of students in higher education and their motivation for school]. Amsterdam: SCO-publicatie.
23.
RispensJ., HermannsJ. M. A., & MeeusW. H. J. (1996). Opvoeden in Nederland[Child rearing in the Netherlands]. Assen, the Netherlands: Van Gorcum.
24.
RosenbergM. (1979). Conceiving the self.New York: Basic Books.
25.
RosenblumL.P. (1997). Adolescents with visual impairments who have best friends: A pilot study. Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 91, 224–235.
26.
RosenblumL. P. (1998). Best friendships of adolescents with visual impairments: A descriptive study. Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 92, 593–608.
27.
RotterJ. B. (1966). Generalized expectancies for internal versus external control of reinforcement. Psychosocial Monographs, 80, 1–28.
28.
SacksS. Z., & WolffeK. E. (1998). Lifestyles of adolescents with visual impairments: An ethnographic analysis. Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 92, 7–17.
29.
SacksS. Z., WolffeK. E., & TierneyD. (1998). Lifestyles of students with visual impairments: Preliminary studies of social networks. Exceptional Children, 64, 463–478.
30.
SarasonB. R., ShearinE. N., PierceG. R., & SarasonI. G. (1987). Interrelations in social support measures: Theoretical and practical implications. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 52, 813–832.
31.
SarasonI. G., SarasonB. R., & PierceG. R. (1990). Social support: The search for theory. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 9, 133–147.
32.
SchreursP. J. G., Van de WilligeG., TellegenB., & BrosschotJ. F. (1993). Utrechtse Coping Lijst: UCL-A Handleiding[Utrecht Coping List: UCL-A Manual]. Lisse, The Netherlands: Swets en Zeitlinger.
33.
TracyE. M., & WhittakerJ. K. (1990). The Social Network Map: Assessing social support in clinical practice. Families in Society, 71, 461–470.
34.
TurtleD. W. (1987). The role of the special education teacher-counselor in meeting students’ self-esteem needs. Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 81, 156–161.
35.
Van der PloegJ. D., & ScholteE. M. (1990). Lastposten of slachtoffers van de samenleving?[Troubled youth or victims of society?]. Rotterdam: Lemniscaat.
36.
WeinerA. (1991). The social support networks of blind and visually impaired young adults.Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Columbia University. Ann Arbor, MI: UMI.