Predyktory pozytywnych zmian u osób z nabytą niepełnosprawnością ruchową

Onset of a permanent mobility disability involves radical changes in nearly all biopsychosocial aspects of functioning. Literature on adjusting to living with acquired limitations usually provides a large body of findings concerning indicators of psychopathology and disturbance of social activity. Until recently, positive aspects in life have been hardly ever addressed. The aim of the paper is to present analyses of positive changes occurring after onset of a permanent disability as a result of a spinal cord injury and post-accident lower extremity amputation. Positive changes are addressed in reference to posttraumatic growth. In the performed analyses, the focus was placed on the structure of these changes and their predictors. It was found that the highest degree of favourable changes in individuals with acquired mobility disability is expressed in higher appreciation of life and considerable improvement of interpersonal relations. Predictors of positive change mainly include coping strategies such as finding support in religion and using humour, as well as transformations of values, type of disability (higher growth in individuals with a spinal cord injury) and disability onset time (in case of changes in self-perception, appreciation of life). The factor blocking positive changes is avoidance coping manifested in the use of alcohol or other narcotic drugs.