We carried out an investigation to analyze the relationships between perceived psychological adjustment and perspective of personal aging in adult and aged people with physical disability. Materials and Method: 90 participants, both genders, aged 25 to 84 , answered questionnaires asking for information on socio demographic characteristics and disability; the Sheppard Inventory of attitudes toward own aging; and a scale assessing perceived psychological adjustment. Results: The indexes of personal adjustment were moderate and high. The women had the lowest scores. There were observed positive correlations between positive psychological adjustment and positive attitudes toward own aging. Those that had congenital disability and reported higher psychological adjustment showed more positive perspectives of personal aging. Conclusion: Aging with physical disability is a complex process that demands adaptive competence, and resilience to cope with life events and the personal, social and environmental challenges produced by disability.
Aging; physical disability; psychological adjustment
