Living with a disability: a qualitative study of associations between social relations, social participation and quality of life.

Across disabilities, caregiving, dependency, understanding and acceptance, and discrimination and prejudice were all important aspects for the quality of life of the individuals. Social relations were closely related to social participation, and the latter affected the quality of life of the participants. Social tactics were used to navigate social relations. Implications for rehabilitation We suggest to formalize the concept of social tactics and use it in patient education to enhance quality of life in individuals living with disabilities. People may accept and learn to cope with the impact of their disability, but how they maintain their social participation and social relations also impact on their quality of life. In their assessment, professionals working with individuals with disabilities should, therefore, give more priority to analyze the impact of social relations. When intervening, an effort to establish and maintain social relations should be considered along with psychological help, allocation of aids and economical support aiming to enhance quality of life and social participation among individuals with disabilities. When evaluating efforts to improve quality of life, it is important to investigate whether the intervention has improved the social relations.