Effectiveness of a training program to improve motor orientation skills as an approach to improve interpersonal openness, meaning in life, and psychological well-being among a sample of females students with visual impairment

الملخص EN

Background : students with visual impairment at a higher risk of reduced well-being and quality of life compared to their sighted peers.

it is therefore crucial to find ways to improve their way of living.

aim : to use a mobility and orientation training program to enhance psychological well-being, interpersonal openness, and meaning in life in visually impaired students.

method : this intervention study recruited 18 blinded female students (9 blinded and 9 partially sighted).

they followed a four-month mobility and orientationtraining program and were assessed at 4 points in time(pre-test at baseline, after two months of beginning the training program, at the end of the training program, and at follow up (after two months of the end of the program).

t-tests were used to analyze differences between baseline and other testing times and repeated measures models were used to investigate the changes over time.

results : significant differences were found in psychological well-being indicators, interpersonal openness, and in meaning of life between baseline and endo of training and follow-up.

further, there was an increase in the measures over time, but except for interpersonal openness, there was a decline after the end of training.

conclusion : the study revealed that the mobility and orientation training model was effective in enhancing psychological well-being, interpersonal openness, and meaning of life.

however, except for interpersonal openness, other indicators declined after end of training therefore, the study calls for a design of training programs that can be provided in family or that can be self-administered on a daily basis in order to keep these dimensions improving.