A study of some psycho-social characteristics of blind and deaf male students in Abha City, Asir region, Saudi Arabia.

Psychosocial characteristics including depression, attitude towards their handicap, hobbies and problems of living situations have been studied among 152 male students in the Institute for the Blind (n = 44) and in the Institute for the Deaf (n = 108) in Abha City. All students were subjected to a constructed Arabic version of the rating scale 'Children Depression Inventory (CDI)'. They were categorised according to their scores on this CDI, into depressed and non-depressed. Also, an interview questionnaire was administered to collect data related to the handicap, such as age of onset, and its cause and family history of the same handicap. The effect of the handicap upon the attitudes of students in relation to their social tendencies, hobbies and problems in living situations was studied. The mean ages for blind and deaf students were 15.70 and 13.04 years respectively. About 91.% and 75.% of blind and deaf students respectively were born with their handicap. Depression was more prevalent among the blind (14%) than among the deaf (6.5%) students. Difficulty in mobility was the main problem among blind students (44%) while difficulty in communication with people was the main problem among the deaf (52%). Reading was the commonest hobby for the blind (51%), while playing football was the commonest among the deaf (62%). This information should be considered when planning for rehabilitative services for these groups.