Introduction: The way of functioning in everyday life and the style of coping with the challenges encountered, including the situations of financial difficulties, are shaped by various adaptation mechanisms conditioned by the state of psychophysical health, as well as social and cultural factors. They are related to the intrapsychic features, among which the personality plays a key role.
Material and methods: The research sample consisted of 2 groups - 50 patients with mobility impairment resulting from chronic pathologies of the locomotor system hospitalized in the Department of General and Neuro Rehabilitation, Institute of Rural Health in Lublin, and 50 healthy people. The research was carried out using the NEO-FFI Personality Inventory, Perceived Stress Scale, Self-Esteem Scale, General Self-Efficacy Scale, Impulsiveness Inventory and the APSZ Questionnaire.
Results: In the group of patients with impaired mobility resulting from chronic pathologies of the locomotor system, the leading correlate of the tendency to seek help in the situation of indebtedness was extraversion. In the healthy group, the leading correlates of the tendency to undertake this type of activity were the intensity of perceived stress, neuroticism, self-esteem, self- efficacy and empathy.
Conclusions: In the group of patients with impaired mobility resulting from chronic diseases of the locomotor system, extroversion was the factor conducive to seeking help in the situation of indebtedness. In the group of healthy people, self-esteem, self- efficacy and empathy were the factors conducive to taking such actions, whereas intensity of perceived stress and neuroticism were the risk factors.
Keywords: chronic disorders of the locomotor system; debt; healthy persons; intrapersonal functioning; mobility impairment; seeking help.