17.4 Million disabled adults experience frequent mental distress #AbleismHurts #MentalHealthMatters The National Center for Disability, Equity, and Intersectionality

Exploring the Intersection of Disability and Mental Health

Author: Alexandra Wong

How does being disabled impact one’s mental health?

Image of Zandy Wong- she has shoulder length black hair, is wearing a green shirt and is smiling

As a person with a disability, it can be tough to mentally cope with the struggles of being disabled. For those newly disabled, there is sometimes a process of grieving what has been lost and what new limitations there are in their lives (Moser, 2022). On top of that, people with disabilities often face challenges accessing education, healthcare, and transportation, preventing them from accessing vital services that allow them to live a full life. These challenges include lack of captioning on videos, inaccessible entrances, and inaccessible medical equipment (Kapsalis et al., 2024; Pharr, 2013; USU, n.d.). Additionally, people with disabilities have trouble gaining meaningful employment in their communities. People with disabilities had an unemployment rate of 7.2%, twice as high as the rate experienced by people without disabilities (Andara et al., 2024). The reasons cited for this include difficulty finding a job that offers the accommodations to make it possible to work and the difficulties finding a job suitable for their skill sets (Andara et al., 2024). As a result, they lack a major method to make an income and live independently. 

Overall, people with disabilities simply want to be included in their communities and have as much function as they can. When their access to education, healthcare, transportation, and means to earn an income are limited, these barriers become major stressors in one’s life as they feel excluded from their communities and have limited function because of the structural barriers in place (Atkinson & Waida, 2024; Cree et al., 2020). They must advocate for themselves to get the services and employment they want much more than a person without a disability, and that work can grow to be tiring, stressful, and frustrating when their needs are not met. One additional factor was the social isolation and disconnectedness that came with the COVID-19 pandemic (Perry et al., 2020). During the pandemic, people with disabilities were some of the most vulnerable to COVID-19 (Perry et al., 2020). So, people with disabilities often were isolated for longer periods of time and had trouble accessing healthcare services safely as well (Perry et al., 2020).  The Centers for Disease Prevention reported that adults with disabilities report frequent mental distress experiences almost 5 times as often as people without disabilities. An estimated 32.9% of adults with disabilities (17.4 million) experienced 14 or more mentally unhealthy days (frequent mental distress) (Cree et al., 2020). 

How to Support People with Disabilities Struggling with their Mental Health

  • Ask them what they need – Don’t assume that they need a certain kind of assistance
  • Be a listening ear – If someone wants to talk, be there for them and listen. Sometimes, people just appreciate the company. 
  • Introduce them to government resources for job support – These resources include their state-level Vocational Rehabilitation Services program. 

Resources for Mental Health

  • BetterHelp – This resource offers virtual therapy with accredited and licensed therapists via video calls, chats, and phone calls. 
  • TimelyCare – Specifically for students, this telehealth resource provides virtual mental health care via their app. These services include TalkNow (On-demand 24/7 mental health support provided by masters-level behavioral health professionals) and appointments with a licensed therapist via their app. 
  • Calm – This app provides several meditation, sleep, and relaxation services to help users better manage their stress and live a healthier and happier life. 

References

Andara, K., Neal, A., & Khattar, R. (2024, February 22). Disabled Workers Saw Record Employment Gains in 2023, But Gaps Remain—Center for American Progress. Center for American Progress. https://www.americanprogress.org/article/disabled-workers-saw-record-employment-gains-in-2023-but-gaps-remain/

Atkinson, C., & Waida, B. (2024, February 14). Stress and Disabilities | Kent State University. Kent State University. https://www.kent.edu/equalaccess/news/stress-and-disabilities

Cree, R. A., Okoro, C. A., Zack, M. M., & Carbone, E. (2020). Frequent Mental Distress Among Adults, by Disability Status, Disability Type, and Selected Characteristics—United States, 2018. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report69(36), 1238–1243. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6936a2

Kapsalis, E., Jaeger, N., & Hale, J. (2024). Disabled-by-design: Effects of inaccessible urban public spaces on users of mobility assistive devices – a systematic review. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17483107.2022.2111723

Moser, E. (2022, August 31). Psychological Impact of Acquiring a Disability. Rocky Mountain ADA Center. https://rockymountainada.org/resources/research/psychological-impact-acquiring-disability

Perry, M. A., Ingham, T., Jones, B., & Mirfin-Veitch, B. (2020). “At risk” and “vulnerable”! Reflections on inequities and the impact of COVID-19 on disabled people. New Zealand Journal of Physiotherapy48(3), Article 3. https://doi.org/10.15619/NZJP/48.3.02

Pharr, J. (2013). Accessible medical equipment for patients with disabilities in primary care clinics: Why is it lacking? Disability and Health Journal6(2), 124–132. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dhjo.2012.11.002

USU. (n.d.). Benefits of Captions | Accessibility | USU. Retrieved May 29, 2024, from https://www.usu.edu/accessibility/captions/benefits


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