Disability Self-Worth and Positive Personal Meaning in Disability: Correlates of Hope Among U.S. Residents With Physical Disabilities

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Research is beginning to indicate that positive disability identity is associated with positive psychosocial outcomes among people with disabilities. Personal disability identity (PDI) refers to self-concept as a person with a disability. Two studies were conducted to examine (a) the psychometric properties of new PDI subscales and (b) the association between the new subscales and hope, a cognitive motivational construct. In Study 1, the author examined the structural validity and internal consistency of recently developed measures of PDI (i.e., disability self-worth and personal meaning in disability) in a sample of 247 adults with physical and sensory disabilities. In Study 2, the author examined the association between the two PDI subscales and hope (i.e., pathways and agency) in a subsample of 147 U.S. residents. In Study 1, internal consistency of all instruments was supported and confirmatory factor analyses supported the structural validity of the PDI subscales in a sample representing a broader disability subgroup than the original measurement development study, which had exclusively examined adults with visual impairment and blindness (Zapata, 2019). In Study 2, findings from hierarchical linear regression indicated that scores on disability self-worth and personal meaning were significantly and positively associated with hope scores ( p < .001), after accounting for demographic and disability characteristics. Study 1 found preliminary evidence to support the use of two new PDI subscales (i.e., disability self-worth and personal meaning) in academic research among adult U.S. residents with physical and sensory disabilities. Study 2 introduced disability self-worth and personal meaning as predictors of hope. Given prior research on the relationship between hope and positive adjustment among people with disabilities, these findings contribute to the emerging literature on the predictive role of disability identity in positive life outcomes among adults with disabilities.