Cognitive measures of stress, self-beliefs and wellbeing in persons with disability - clients of supported
employment service in Poland
Rafał Dziurla,
Kamilla Bargiel-Matusiewicze of Presentation
Premises
- Persons with disability that come form areas of high unemployment,
long-term unemployed or just entering the job market need
individualized method of support in order to gain employment
- Supported employment is adequate method of vocational activation
of persons that experience difficulties in getting and maintaining
employment.
Polish Union of Supported Employment
University of Warsaw, Poland
With support of:
PZ
UW
Hypothesis
1. Employment of persons with disability with the use of supported employment method leads to increase of the
level of general self-efficacy in comparison to persons with disability employed by other vocational
rehabilitation methods.
2. Employment of persons with disability with the use of supported employment method leads to increase of the
level of self-esteem in comparison to persons with disability employed by other vocational rehabilitation
methods.
3. Employment of persons with disability with the use of supported employment method leads to increase of the
level of cognitive appraisal of employment as a challenge in comparison to persons with disability employed by
other vocational rehabilitation methods.
4. Employment of persons with disability with the use of supported employment method leads to decrease of the
level of cognitive appraisal of employment as a threat in comparison to persons with disability employed by
other vocational rehabilitation methods.
5. Employment of persons with disability with the use of supported employment method leads to decrease of the
level of cognitive appraisal of employment as a loss in comparison to persons with disability employed by other
vocational rehabilitation methods.
6. Employment of persons with disability with the use of supported employment method leads to increase of the
level of satisfaction with life in comparison to persons with disability employed by other vocational
rehabilitation methods.
7. Employment of persons with disability with the use of supported employment method leads to increase of the
level of basic hope in comparison to persons with disability employed by other vocational rehabilitation
methods.
Variables scheme
Dependent variables
Independent variable
Supported employment
method according to
EUSE standards
- General self-efficacy
- Self-esteem
- Cognitive appraisal of
employment as:
challenge, threat, loss,
- Satisfaction with life
- Basic hope
Method
Research plan
- Quasi-experimental design:
Measures:
- Experimental group
1st measure: at the beginning of the recruitment of PwD
to the project
2nd measure a year after employment
- Control group
1st measure: at the beginning of the vocation
counselling program at different NGOs
2nd measure: 6 months after employment
Participants of this study took part in
Human Capital Operational Programme, a transnational cooperation project
(POKL.06.01.01-28-196/12-00), entitled: Supported Employment – Real Work.
Leader:
 Warmian-Mazurian Convention of Disabled Persons in Olsztyn, Poland
Partner:
 Royal National Institute of Blind, Great Britain, (Scottish Division)
Project duration: Jan. 2013 – June 2015 (recruitment onset: Feb.-March 2014)
Participants characteristics
Age
control
experimental
N
11
Mean
47,36
SD
11,61
N
16
Mean
38,68
SD
12,34
Education
control
experimental
Gender
Control
Women
Men
Total
N
%
N
%
N
%
6
54,5%
5
45,5%
11
100,0%
Experimental
10
62,5%
6
37,5%
16
100,0%
Total
16
59,3%
11
40,7%
27
100,0%
Frequency
Vocational
5
College
4
Higher education
2
Total
11
Elementary
3
Vocational
3
College
5
Higher education
5
Total
16
%
45,5
36,4
18,2
100,0
18,8
18,8
31,3
31,3
100,0
Disability types
control
Frequency
%
Blind and partly sighted
5
45,5
Comorbid disability
6
54,5
Total
11
100,0
Psychological disability
1
6,3
Deaf and hard of hearing
1
6,3
Blind and partly sighted
8
50,0
Physical disability
4
25,0
Comorbid disability
2
12,5
Total
16
100,0
experimental
Disability level
Control
Experimental
Frequency
%
Moderate
6
54,5
Severe
5
45,5
Total
11
100,0
Moderate
8
50,0
Severe
8
50,0
Total
16
100,0
Measurement tools
 Self-Esteem Questionnaire (Heszen-Niejodek, Januszek and Gruszczyńska, 2001)
 General Self-Efficacy Scale, GSES, original version: Schwarzer, Jerusalem, 1995, Polish version
Juczyński, 2009
 Cognitive Appraisal Questionnaire (Heszen-Niejodek, Januszek i Gruszczyńska, 2001)
 Satisfaction With Life Scale, SWLS, original version: Diener, Emmons, Larson and Griffin, 1985,
Polish version, Juczyński, 2009
 Basic Hope Inventory (BHI-12), Trzebiński and Zięba, 2003
Independent variable characteristics
Comparison between stages of the model used in
the study and EUSE 5-stage structure
EUSE
WMSON
Stage 1 – Inclusion
Stage 2 - Recognition
Stage 3: Supporting
Stage 4: Monitoring
10
The model for the cooperation between the supporting specialists and the client
Occupational
health doctor
Psychologist
Blind or partially
sighted person
Vocational
advisor
Job coach
Blind students’
teacher
11
Dependent Variables
Cognitive appraisal of the stressful situation is an interpretation of one's own well-being in a given
situation, which can be described as indifferent, positive, or stressful (Lazarus, Folkman, 1984). The
perception of a situation that is
aggravating or exceeding the subject's resources. This is a situation in which the
last type of assessment is related to the
current way of functioning is not enough to ensure a sense of well-being. Cognitive appraisal can
then take the form of loss, threat or challenge.
Bandura's sense of self-efficacy (1977a, 1977b / 2007) is a subjective feeling
of having the
capacity to organize and carry out the activities necessary to
accomplish their goals. Self-efficacy is associated with assessing your competence for
accomplishing a given goal in a specific context.
Dependent Variables
Self-esteem is understood as a generalized
conscious attitude towards self, arising
from the evaluation of physical, emotional, mental, interpersonal and manifested characteristics
(Heszen-Niejodek, Januszek, Gruszczyńska,2001).
Satisfaction with life is an overall
assessment of a person's quality of life
(see
Diener, Pavot, 2008). Diener (2006) gives a number of key elements of life satisfaction, including
the quality of social relationships, the realization of goals that are of value to the person and
spiritual life.
Basic hope is the subjective interpretation
of the world as an predictable and
sensible whole which is generally favorable to the people. This concept
comes from the theory of Erikson (1950/1996) and is the basis for creating a vision of the future,
especially in anticipation and evaluation of one's own chances (cf. Trzebiński, Zięba, 2003).
Results
 According to statistically significant deviation of analyzed variables from
normal distribution nonparametric Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used.
 The significance of differences between the first and second measure was
verified within control and experimental group
 One-sided significance test was applied
General self-efficacy
 In control group we could observe decrease of the level of selfefficacy in second measure (M=29,36; SD= 4,57) compared to the
level of the first measure (M=31,27; SD=4,24), Z=-1,63, p=0,051
 In experimental group the level of self-efficacy did not change in the
second measure compared to the first one, Z=-0,23, p>0,05
General self-efficacy, mean value
31.27
30.31
29.75
29.36
CONTROL GROUP (P=0,051)
1st measure
EXPERIMENTAL GROUP (P>0,05)
2nd measure
Cognitive appraisal as challenge
 In experimental group a decrease of the level of cognitive appraisal as
challenge in second measure (M=37,87; SD=6,61) was observed
compared to the first one (M=40,50; SD=5,66), Z=-1,43, p=0,077
 In control group the level of cognitive appraisal as challenge did not
change as compared to level of the first measure, Z=-0,06, p>0,05;
Cognitive appraisal as challenge, mean value
40.50
38.90
39.18
37.87
CONTROL GROUP
EXPERIMENTAL GROUP
1st measure
2nd measure
Cognitive appraisal as threat
 In experimental group a decrease of cognitive appraisal was noted in
the second measure (M=18,25; SD=6,39) as compared to the first
measure (M=20,12; SD=5,78) , Z=-1,62, p=0,052
 In control group an increase of the cognitive appraisal as threat was
noted in the second measure (M=17,18; SD=6,92) compared to the
first measure (M=15,45; SD=6,55), Z=-1,61, p=0,054
Cognitive appraisal as threat, mean value
20.12
15.45
17.18
CONTROL GROUP
18.25
EXPERIMENTAL GROUP
1st measure
2nd measure
Correlational analysis between decrease of general self-efficacy, cognitive appraisal as
challenge and threat and the level of self-esteem, satisfaction with life and basic
hope.
 The coefficient of Spearman’s rho was used altogether with
significance test
 In experimental group it can be observed positive correlation
between decrease of cognitive appraisal as challenge and all
dimensions of self-esteem except the physical self
 In experimental group decrease of the level of cognitive appraisal as
threat was correlated negatively with the basic hope level
Control
Physical self
Emotional self
Task-oriented self
Social self
General self-esteem
Satisfaction with life
Basic hope
Experimental
SelfSelfefficacy Challenge Threat efficacydecrease decrease decrease decrease
-0,258
0,374
-0,146
-0,151
Challenge
decrease
0,111
Threat
decrease
-0,167
-0,292
0,236
-0,009
-0,076
0,482
*
-0,224
-0,382
0,258
-0,198
-0,193
0,429
*
0,013
-0,169
0,208
-0,043
-0,047
0,509
*
-0,036
-0,336
0,282
-0,064
-0,124
0,448
*
-0,167
-0,491
0,173
-0,246
0,319
0,064
-0,220
-0,032
-0,352
0,178
-0,223
-0,338
-0,428
*
Disscusion
The results of the study show that supported employment influences the maintenance of the same level of
self-efficacy in comparison to the control group where the value of this variable decreases. Accordingly, H1
should be considered partially confirmed.
Participation in supported employment results in a decline in the cognitive search for employment as a
challenge. This means that H3 has not been confirmed.
Participation in supported employment causes a decrease in the cognitive search for employment as a threat.
This means that H4 has been confirmed.
Lowering cognitive appraisal of gaining employment as a challenge is associated with increased general selfesteem and social-self, emotional-self, task-oriented self.
Reducing the cognitive level of getting employment as a threat is associated with lowering the level of basic
hope.
Conclusions
Supported employment method helps the participants - persons with
disability:
 to stabilize the level of general self-efficacy
 to make the level of cognitive appraisal as challenge in the situation
of getting a job more realistic
 to make the level of cognitive appraisal as threat in the situation of
getting a job more realistic
Proposal for later studies:
Supported employment as moderator of stress
and self-beliefs and the environment
Self-esteem
Stress
Supported
employment
Self-efficacy
Basic hope
CONTACT
UNIWERSITY OF WARSAW, FACULTY OF PSYCHOLOGY,
REHABILITATION PSYCHOLOGY DIVISION
http://www.psychologia.pl/rehabilitacja
POLISH UNION OF SUPPORTED EMPLOYMENT
www.puzw.pl
[email protected]
Kamilla Bargiel-Matusiewicz
[email protected]
Rafał Dziurla
[email protected]
THANK YOU