SELF PERCEPTION OF HEALTH AND ADAPTATION AT SCHOOL AMONG ADOLESCENTS WITH CHRONIC ILLNESS AND MATCHED CLASSROOM CONTROL CHILDRENS

Šaulys Juozas

SELF PERCEPTION OF HEALTH AND ADAPTATION AT SCHOOL AMONG ADOLESCENTS WITH CHRONIC ILLNESS AND MATCHED CLASSROOM CONTROL CHILDRENS: work of master of health psychology.

Scientific adviser: prof. habil. dr. A. Goštautas. Vytautas Magnus University, department of theoretical psychology, Kaunas, 2009. - 70 p.

The aim of this research is to explore the connections between self perception of health, non – adaptive behaviour and adaptation at school among adolescents with chronic illness and matched classroom control childrens.

Methods. An anonymous questionnaires of adolescents was carried out. Self Perception of Health, Adaptation at School and Suicide Risk questionaires were used for the research.

414 adolescents: 133 with different chronic illness – 64 male and 69 female; and 281 matched classroom control children – 120 male and 161 female took part in the research.

Results. Results of the research showed lower self perception of health among chronically ill male and female adolescents than matched classroom control childrens.

Chronically ill male adolescents showed lack of social acceptance. There was no differences of psychological health and social acceptance found between chronically ill and healthy female adolescents. Results of the research also showed that chronically ill girls adolescents are better at studying, are more diligent when doing homework, are acting more suitable at lessons time, they are better when communicating to teachers, they also spend more time on learning than healthy girls. Healthy boys are better at handling learning load and are more active in extra-curricular activities than chronically ill boys. It’s been diagnosed that ill boys physical health is related with learning outcomes, handling learning load, it’s also related with how they communicate with teachers, and for the last participation in extra-currical activities. The mental health rating of ill boys is related with how they adapt with all school indicators. Chronically ill boys social support is related with learning outcomes, complying with rules, overcoming the burden of learning, communicating with teachers, lessons attendance, homework performance and the participation in extra currical activities. Chronically ill girls health evaluation is related with all school adapting indicators. Results of non-adaptive behavior and health assesment signals research also showed that sick boys mental health, physical health and social support is related with their non-adaptive behavior, ill girls non-adaptive behavior is related with physical health and social support and it’s not related with mental health. It’s been also diagnosed, that girls and boys who are suffering from chronic diseases are lesser into self injuring themselves than healthy girls and boys.