عوامل موثر بر هدف دانش آموزان برای کار با افراد دارای معلولیت ذهنی

Providing adequate care to individuals with intellectual disability (ID) requires the willingness of students in various health and social professions to care for this population upon completion of their studies. The aim of the current study was to examine the factors associated with the intentions of students from various fields to work with individuals with ID, using the framework of the Theory of Planned Behavior. A structured self-administered questionnaire was completed by 512 social work, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, special education, and nursing students. The questionnaire measured students’ attitudes toward individuals with ID and toward working with this population, as well as their perceptions of subjective norms, controllability, self-efficacy, prior acquaintance with individuals with ID, and subjective knowledge about ID. Structural equation modeling showed that the students’ intentions to work with individuals with ID were predicted by their attitudes and perceptions of subjective norms. Field of study and subjective knowledge were also found to be predictive of behavioral intention. The TPB proved to be a useful framework for examining students’ intentions to work with persons with ID. Given the lack of education in the field of ID, as well as the prevailing stigmatic attitudes toward this population, university departments should develop programs aimed at increasing knowledge, promoting positive contact, and reducing the fear attached to working with persons with intellectual disability.

The “deinstitutionalization” movement has brought about a shift in the treatment and care for people with intellectual disability (ID), moving away from predominantly institutional care to less restrictive community-based approaches (Cleary, Friedman, Hunt, & Walter, 2006). This shift, along with the complex needs of individuals with ID in relation to cognitive difficulties, multiple medical conditions, and communication limitations (Taua & Farrow, 2009), have brought about the need for intensive, specialized, integrated, and long-term treatment (Davis, Barnhill, & Saeed, 2008) provided by trained professionals in various fields of specialization. In order to provide adequate care, a multidisciplinary approach is warranted, requiring the participation and willingness of professionals in all health and social care specialties to work with this population. The main aim of the current study was to identify the predictors of the intentions of students from various professions to work with individuals with ID, using the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) as a theoretical framework.