Evaluating Client Assessments of Social Belongingness and Wellbeing in Adaptive Sport Programs
Disabilities are impairments of the body or mind that limit an individual’s ability to engage in certain activities. Comorbid mental health disorders and lower sense of inclusion in community social activities have been linked to individuals with disabilities. Adaptive sports may offset the negative impacts of disabilities by increasing physical activity and quality of life. The purpose of this study is to evaluate client assessments of social belongingness and wellbeing in adaptive sports programs. Participants were enrolled in adaptive programs from a regional rehabilitation institute. Quantitative measures used were the Satisfaction with Life Survey (SWLS), the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), the Social Connectedness Scale-Revised (SCS-R), and the Communicative Participation Item Bank (CPIB). All measures were administered weekly following participation in the adaptive sports session. Data collection is ongoing due to complications from COVID-19, but thus far we have results from 15 participants. Bivariate correlations among all variables were in the expected direction (rs = .02-.55) except FFMQ-CPIB and outcomes with SWLS. The data on effects of adaptive sports programs is beneficial in creating treatment plans and improving quality of life in individuals with disabilities. Regarding feasibility, it was difficult to get participant responses and measures need to be short and easy to understand. The strengths of this study include more generalizable results from working with a community program. The limitations are a small sample size and lower control over reliability and validity due to working with a community program.