Psychological and social acculturation to College among lower division students with disabilities

Fredericio Elwood

Abstract

This paper examined the relationships among college stress, functional limitations, engagement coping and perceived social support (PSS), and psychosocial adjustment to disability among first-year and second-year undergraduate students with disabilities (SWD) with emphasis on the potential direct and moderating influence of coping and PSS on adjustment, using a correlational (both bivariate and multiple regression analysis) research design. The sample consisted of 103 undergraduate students with physical, sensory, cognitive, and psychiatric disabilities. Results indicated that college stress and functional limitations were negatively and significantly associated with psychosocial adjustment to college, while engagement coping and PSS were positively and significantly linked to college adaptation. No support was found to the moderating role of either engagement coping or PSS in buffering the relationships between college stress or functional limitations and adjustment to college.

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