Empowering autonomy: exploring the transfer of lessons learned from group-based rehabilitation to everyday life for young adults with disabilities Show others and affiliations
2026 (English) In: Disability and Rehabilitation, ISSN 0963-8288, E-ISSN 1464-5165, Vol. 48, no 11, p. 3379-3394Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
Purpose: To explore the rehabilitation experiences of young adults with disabilities, and identify key factors for their successful transition and integration into home and everyday life. Material and methods: A prospective qualitative longitudinal study with two semistructured individual interviews was conducted. The study included young adults with physical disabilities who were able to communicate verbally. The participants underwent two inpatient rehabilitation stays, including daily schedules of 3-5 h of physical, social, and life skill activities six days a week. An individualized goal-oriented plan was employed during their subsequent at-home period, with digital follow-up and collaboration with local service providers as support. All interviews were transcribed and underwent inductive content analysis. Results: Fifteen young adults (17-29 years old, ten women) participated. Three main themes emerged: expectations, experiences and challenges during and after the inpatient rehabilitation stay, and important factors for successful transfer to home life. The results demonstrated improvements in the participants' physical, self-management and social skills, but also challenges in transferring them to everyday life. Conclusions: A coordinated support system involving family, volunteers, specialist health care and local service providers is essential for fostering a healthy lifestyle and participation for young adults with disabilities in various life arenas.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages Informa UK Limited , 2026. Vol. 48, no 11, p. 3379-3394
Keywords [en]
Read making your article more discoverable): young adults, disability, participation, adapted physical activity, health literacy, autonomy, home environment, transition
National Category
Nursing
Identifiers URN: urn:nbn:se:mdh:diva-73861 DOI: 10.1080/09638288.2025.2575113 ISI: 001597264000001 PubMedID: 41109749 Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-105019334248 OAI: oai:DiVA.org:mdh-73861 DiVA, id: diva2:2009916
2025-10-292025-10-292026-06-10 Bibliographically approved