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The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between communication with healthcare professionals and life satisfaction among individuals with disabilities, and to verify the mediating effect of family strength in this relationship. For this purpose, data from the 3rd wave (2020) Disability and Life Dynamics Panel conducted by the Korea Disabled People’s Development Institute in 2020 were utilized, with a sample of 3,937 individuals with disabilities aged 19 and above. The analysis employed Process Macro to verify the mediating effects. The main findings of the study are as follows. Firstly, higher communication with healthcare professionals had a significant positive effect on life satisfaction. Secondly, increased communication with healthcare professionals also had a significant positive effect on family strength. Thirdly, family strength demonstrated a complete mediating effect in the relationship between communication with healthcare professionals and life satisfaction. Based on the research results and discussions, there is a suggested need for services that guarantee and support the participation of disabled individuals and their families in the medical decision-making process.
Kim et al. (Tue,) studied this question.