Perceived Social Support and Psychological Well-being among Visually Impaired Individuals: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Social support is an important resource which facilitates coping and raises the quality of life. This study examines how different forms of social support are perceived by the visually impaired individuals living in Turkey (positive or negative), and the impact on these individuals’ psychological well-being. This qualitative phenomenological study is conducted by semi-structured interview techniques and 21 visually impaired and volunteer (11 female, 10 male) adults over 18 years (M = 28, SD = 6,34) who live in Ankara participated in the study. Data were analysed using thematic content analysis. There were 4 main themes: Centrality of the sighted world, negative social support, positive social support, and accessibility. The most frequently repeated sub themes were gathered under the main themes of negative social support and centrality of the sighted world; the majority of the participants mentioned the effect of living independently. Moreover, the lack of information in society and the negative effects of interference under the will to help are frequently mentioned. On the other hand, the sub themes of mutual support, perceiving blindness as a difference, not a deficiency were presented under the main theme of positive social support. Keywords: Visually impaired, perceived social support, psychological well-being