The present study replicated the findings of a large cross-cultural study that the QOL construct has both etic and emic properties.

Sexuality is an inherent attribute of all human beings regardless of their race, religion and the level of physical fitness. The way it is perceived and manifested is determined by a number of biopsychosocial factors. In some people, including persons with cerebral palsy, the factors and their influence are rooted in the psychophysical condition of the human body. The aim of this study was to answer the question about how the levels of sexual esteem and sexual needs differentiate the sexual behaviors of young people with cerebral palsy. The study being presented was conducted with 62 young persons with cerebral palsy (half women and half men), who were selected using purposive sampling. They were aged 15–25 years and were individuals without cognitive difficulties. The research tool used was the Cerebral Palsy Individual’s Sexual Behavior Questionnaire developed by the authors. The findings of the study showed that half of the participants engaged in various sexual behaviors from the list that was presented to them. The frequencies of these engagements depended on the levels of their sexual esteem and sexual needs. Persons characterized by high levels of sexual esteem and sexual needs (much fewer than those with the low levels of both characteristics) engaged in sexual behaviors significantly more frequently. The most frequent among them was direct engagement in sexual activity (petting and sexual intercourse; p ≤ .001) and then exposure to sexually explicit magazines or films (p ≤ .05).

Sexuality is an important part of human existence, irrespective of race, religion or level of physical fitness. It can, however, be treated and exhibited by individuals in very different ways. The place of sexuality in a person's life, and in the way it is materialised, is determined by a number of biopsychosocial factors. For some, the presence of these factors and their influence is not a matter of choice. They may arise as a consequence of the psychophysical condition of their organism. People with motor disabilities undoubtedly belong to this group. participants and procedureThe study was carried out in Poland on a group of 61 people with roughly equal proportions of men and women. Subject selection was non-random; every subject was diagnosed with cerebral palsy (CP) and was aged between 15 and 25. All of the subjects had normal levels of intelligence. Two methods were used in the study: Sexual Self-esteem Scale and Sexual Needs Scale. resultsThe results in terms of sexual self-esteem and sexual needs allowed two different subgroups of subjects to be distinguished (H -with high scores; L -with low scores). The analysis of significance levels of the differences in terms of sexual self-esteem and sexual needs between subgroups H and L confirmed the clear distinction between each of the subgroups' clinical pictures (p < .001) in 20 out of 21 of the analysed aspects. Falling in love was the only matter that did not differentiate the subgroups. conclusionsThere is a clear polarization of the results. Only 1/3 of the respondents had high sexual self-esteem and sexual needs. The remaining 2/3 reported having a rather low sexual self-esteem and low levels of needs with regards to their own sexuality. It needs to be stressed that CP-affected youth, similarly to their peers, may need support in discovering their sexuality and satisfying their sexual needs (2/3 of the respondents). The specifics of the range of support should take into account the aspects highlighted by the literature as associated with the causes of disability and contexts of psychosocial functioning of individuals with CP. key words cerebral palsy; disability; sexual behavior

BackgroundThe study aimed to determine to what extent emotions experienced at work are predictors of the level of teachers’ job satisfaction. The moderating role of the type of school – inclusive and special – for this correlation was also analysed.Participants and procedureThe study involved 214 teachers at three levels of inclusive and special schools (primary, middle and high) attended by pupils with special educational needs. The respondents represented various age groups. The study used the Work Affect Scale and the Satisfaction with Job Scale.ResultsThe results clearly suggest that the emotions teachers experience at work are a strong predictor of their job satisfaction – positive emotions imply high job satisfaction whereas negative emotions imply low job satisfaction. This regularity exists in both the responding teacher groups. It was determined that the type of an institution does not significantly affect the above predictive attribute of organizational work affect.ConclusionsPositive work-related emotions and average and high job satisfaction felt by ca. 2/3 of the responding inclusive and special school teachers suggest that both these groups are fully ready for high-quality education for all.

Existing studies confirm the benefits of employment for chronically ill persons’ health, but few studies so far have delved into how they themselves perceive employment in relation to their health. There is also a paucity of information about individual factors influencing the formation of their perceptions. This study sought to determine differences between chronically ill persons with and without jobs regarding their perceptions of the function of employment for the physical, mental and social dimensions of health, as well as how their occupational activity or inactivity moderates the associations between the perception of work as health beneficial or health adverse and selected individual characteristics, such as self-efficacy, acceptance of illness, actualisation of self, and psychosocial problems. The study involved 80 adults with chronic illnesses and was conducted using the following psychological tools: the WH Scale, the Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale, the Acceptance of Illness Scale, the Actualization of Self Scale and the Psychosocial Problems of Persons with Chronic Illness Scale. It has been found that the way in which chronically ill persons perceive the function of employment for health is unrelated to whether or not they have a job, and that occupational activity moderates associations between the sense of self-efficacy and the perception of work as benefitting health.

Psychosocial problems experienced by patients depending on Crohn's disease activity: an exploratory study

The past decade has been a time of great political, social and economic change within Poland. Such changes have affected the lives of all citizens including those with an intellectual disability. However, within the English language literature there is little published concerning the impact of changes in social policy on this group of people and the extent to which their quality of life has been enhanced. This article thus considers the difficult relationship between quality of life and social policy, provides an overview of key policy developments within Poland (both general and disability specific), and outlines some ways in which they have impacted on the lives of people with intellectual disabilities. It is suggested that further research is required before clear conclusions can be drawn. Areas for service development and research are thus proposed.

The perception of professionals cannot be overlooked when considering the development and provision of QOL-related services and supports.