Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1 Associate Professor of Sociology, Faculty of Humanities, University of Kashan, Kashan, Iran
2 PhD in Sociology, Faculty of Humanities, University of Kashan, Kashan, Iran
Abstract
The mental health of blind and low vision individuals refers to the general and emotional state that exposes the individual to increased stress and anxiety, feelings of loneliness, and a sense of helplessness due to visual impairment. In these circumstances, having social support is considered one of the most important social determinants of mental health. The main objective of this study is to investigate the relationship between social support and the mental health of blind and low vision individuals in the city of Kashan. The research method is survey-based and the statistical population includes members of the blind and low vision Community in the city of Kashan (652 individuals), from which 211 individuals have been selected as the sample size. The results of hypothesis testing indicate a direct relationship between the variables "family support," "friend support," "significant others' support," and "social support (sum of dimensions)" with the variable "mental health" at a 99% confidence level. Furthermore, the results of multiple regression analysis indicate a direct effect of "friend support," "family support," and "significant others' support" on the mental health variable, explaining 34% of the variance in the dependent variable. the results of the structural equation modeling indicate that the effect size of the variable "friend support" is moderate, while the effects of other variables are small. Overall, the predictive power of the model is evaluated at a moderate level. This article concludes by providing suggestions for strengthening social support for blind and low vision individuals and improving their mental health.
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