Types and Sources of Social Support Accessible to University Students with Disabilities in Saudi Arabia during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

University students with disabilities face an increased risk of experiencing negative implications in educational, psychological, and social spheres during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed at assessing various dimensions of social support and its sources during the COVID-19 pandemic that availed university students with disabilities. This cross-sectional descriptive study collected data from 53 university students with disabilities. We administered the Social Support Scale (SSC) to assess five dimensions: informational, emotional, esteem, social integration and tangible support, and access to social support from four sources: family, friends, teachers, and colleagues. Multiple regression analysis showed that university students with disabilities mainly relied upon their friends for informational support (β = 0.64; p < 0.001), emotional support (β = 0.52; p < 0.001), and social integration support (β = 0.57; p < 0.001). Family members (β = 0.406; p < 0.01) and colleagues (β = 0.36; p < 0.01) provided esteem support to students with disabilities. Support from teachers demonstrated an association with informational support (β = 0.24; p < 0.05). The findings from the current study suggest that students with disabilities primarily sought informational, emotional, and social integration support from their peers. Although teachers were the primary source of informational support, emotional and esteem support were not found to be significantly associated with them. These findings necessitate exploring the underlying factors and how to enhance them during unusual circumstances such as online distance education and social distancing.

Apoyo Social Y Empatía Como Predictores De La Satisfacción Con La Vida en Estudiantes Universitarios Brasileros

“…Este resultado indica que la satisfacción con la vida es influenciada por el apoyo social en su dimensión amigos y personas importantes y se encuentra en coherencia con estudios similares donde los amigos y las personas importante juegan un rol importante en el desarrollo del estudiante y por ende predicen su satisfacción con la vida (43). Otro estudio pero en población de estudiantes con discapacidad se mostró que los universitarios dependían de sus amigos especialmente en el apoyo informativo (44); así mismo, En Tailandia un estudio mostró que el apoyo de amigos es fundamental para mejorar su bienestar (45).…”

Evaluating the Role of University Disability Service Support, Family Support, and Friends’ Support in Predicting the Quality of Life among Disabled Students in Higher Education: Physical Self-esteem as a Mediator

“…This also affects the quality of their academic life which translates into high grades, positive emotional feelings, and high self-esteem. In addition, studies revealed that disabled students depend heavily on their friends as colleagues as a source of sustainable esteem support (Bronkema and Bowman, 2019;Ahmed et al, 2023).…”