The Relationship Between Resilience, Self-Efficacy, and Employment in People With Physical Disabilities

Abstract

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to determine the importance of resilience and self-efficacy in explaining employment status for people with long-term physical disabilities when other sociodemographic and symptom variables were also examined. A multiple logistic regression with sequential predictor entry was used to predict employment status. Participants were individuals, 18 to 65 years of age, with a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, post-polio syndrome, or spinal cord injury ( N = 882). Results indicated resilience but not self-efficacy was uniquely predictive of employment status. The combined effects of resilience and self-efficacy, however, did not significantly contribute to the variance in employment status above and beyond the sociodemographic and symptom variables. Other variables uniquely predictive of employment included education, age, marital status, disability benefits, and anxiety. We found in this study preliminary evidence to suggest that rehabilitation counseling practitioners should consider a client’s resilience with respect to employment. Knowledge of sociodemographic and symptom factors in conjunction with psychometrically sound measures of resilience and self-efficacy may be used to identify individuals with long-term physical disabilities whose beliefs and behaviors may limit the extent to which they prepare for, obtain, or maintain employment.