Self-Esteem and Coping Styles in Polish Youths with and Without Visual Impairments

Introduction: The aim of this study was to compare self-esteem and coping styles in youths with and without visual impairments (i.e., blindness or low vision) and to explore relationships between self-esteem and coping styles. Methods: The participants were students of secondary schools in Poland: 50 with visual impairments (23 females) and 50 typically sighted (21 females). Self-esteem and coping styles were measured with the following questionnaires: Multidimensional Self-Esteem Inventory, by O'Brien and Epstein, in Polish adaptation by Fecenec and Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations, by Endler and Parker, in Polish adaptation by Strelau, Jaworowska, Wrzesniewski, and Szczepaniak. Results: There were no group differences in global self-esteem nor in the majority of self-esteem domains excepting moral self-approval, in which the group with visual impairments scored higher than did their sighted peers. Females with visual impairments reported lower self-esteem related to body appearance than control females and males with visual impairments. There were no group differences in coping styles. Moral self-approval and self-esteem in the domain of body functioning served as predictors of an avoidance coping style. Discussion: Self-esteem seems to be influenced by both gender and visual impairment. The absence of differences in global self-esteem between groups with and without visual disabilities may be a result of access to rehabilitation, professional support, and education in the group with visual impairment. Body appearance seems to be a particularly important aspect of self-esteem for females with visual impairments, who scored lower than the other groups. Implications for practitioners: The results show the need to provide specialized psychological support to females with visual impairments aimed at developing positive body image. Further studies on factors influencing self-esteem and coping styles among youths with visual impairments could enable practitioners to better understand how to support them in coping with everyday stress.