Spiritual Experiences, Personal Commitment: Relationship With Work Stress Among Support Staff for Children with Disabilities in Oman

Abstract

Background: The development o f a meaningful career fo r support staff working with children who have disabilities is part o f a pro cess o f self-exploration and crystallization o f identity. Such process is determined by several individual characteristics including spir ituality and personal commitment. This study examined whether both constructs can predict levels o f stress in disability support staff in Oman. Additionally this study examined how both constructs are perceived by support staff in relation to the stress related to serving and supporting children with disabilities in disability cen ters in Oman. Methods: A mixed method approach was used to collect quantitative and qualitative data. For quantitative data, a cross-sectional design involved administration o f a short survey that examined spiritual experiences (DSE), personal commitment (PC), and stress in 142 female support staff from community dis ability centers in Oman. For qualitative data, focus group were conducted to interview a cohort o f support staff who took a twoyear specialized course in special education at a Public University in Oman. Results: Multiple regression analyses indicated that DSE and PG were modest predictors o f support staff stress. Qualitative analysis showed participants ' belief in the importance o f spirituality in their lives and its impact on the capability to manage work stress related to serving children with disabilities. The study findings are