Hopelessness and hours of services received by elderly and disabled clients

Abstract

Hopelessness is defined as the degree to which an individual is pessimistic about the future. This paper is set out to address the relationship between disabled individuals, and feelings of hopelessness based on the hours of services they receive. This study could lead to improvements in the well-being of many individuals and treatment received. A review of the literature shows that disabled individuals receive services based on their perceived needs. Studies have also shown that persons with disabilities are vulnerable to depression and hopelessness. This present study examines the relationship between hopelessness and hours of services disabled clients receive. The Beck Hopelessness Scale (Beck, 1974) was administered to 27 participants and the scores were correlated to determine whether a relationship exists between the two constructs. Data analysis using Pearson’s r correlation coefficients suggests a positive correlation exists between hopelessness and hours of services received for clients with disabilities.