Self-Separation among Differently Abled Adolescents (Hearing and Orthopedically Handicapped): The Predictor and Correlates

This study is an attempt to identity the correlates and predictors of selfseparation among the adolescents with hearing and orthopedic disabilities. A Sample of 120 physically handicapped (hearing impaired and orthopedically handicapped) adolescents was taken for the study from the three district of Malabar region (Kannur, Kozhikode, and Malapuram) of Kerala state. The data were collected using E. E Scale, Alienation scale, Mental health scale and Personal information schedule. Parson product moment correlation method and step wise multiple regression were used for analyzing the data. The correlation analyses show that self-separation was positively correlated with withdrawal and isolation, disaffection, indifference, meaninglessness, alienation and aggression. And at the same time it was negatively correlated with helping behaviour, affection, optimism, affiliation, emotional empathy, self-evaluation, social orientation, personal integration, independence, environmental mastery, feeling of well-being and mental health. All the obtained bivariate correlation coefficients were found to be significant at 0.01 level except the one obtained in the case of powerlessness. The step wise multiple regressionidentified certain predictors of self-separation and found that the variables viz., personal integration, affiliation, optimism and helping behavior are capable to predict 50.5% of variance in self-separation.