TY - JOUR

T1 - Mental health trajectories of young people after disability onset

AU - Kariuki, M

AU - Honey, Anne

AU - Emerson, Eric

AU - Llewellyn, Gwynnyth

PY - 2011/4

Y1 - 2011/4

N2 - BackgroundYoung people with disabilities are at greater risk of having mental health problems than are their nondisabled peers. Most research about the relationship between disability and mental health has been cross-sectional and unable to identify mental health status prior to onset of disability or possible mental health pathways following disability. There is a lack of information, therefore, about what happens to young people’s mental health when they become disabled.ObjectiveThis study aimed to identify the mental health trajectories for young Australian adults after onset of self-reported disability, taking into account their predisability mental health status.MethodsLongitudinal data from waves 1 to 7 (2001 to 2007) of the survey of Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) were analyzed using a growth mixture modeling approach.ResultsThree distinct mental health trajectories were identified for the 136 young people reporting onset of ongoing disability. The majority (64.7%) of respondents experienced positive mental health before and following onset of disability. However, a significant minority (35.3%) experienced either (a) low mental health both prior to and following onset of disability (19.1%) or (b) mental health deterioration following onset of disability (16.2%).ConclusionTargeting appropriate interventions to the young people with disabilities in these 2 groups could have a significant impact on enduring mental health status.

AB - BackgroundYoung people with disabilities are at greater risk of having mental health problems than are their nondisabled peers. Most research about the relationship between disability and mental health has been cross-sectional and unable to identify mental health status prior to onset of disability or possible mental health pathways following disability. There is a lack of information, therefore, about what happens to young people’s mental health when they become disabled.ObjectiveThis study aimed to identify the mental health trajectories for young Australian adults after onset of self-reported disability, taking into account their predisability mental health status.MethodsLongitudinal data from waves 1 to 7 (2001 to 2007) of the survey of Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) were analyzed using a growth mixture modeling approach.ResultsThree distinct mental health trajectories were identified for the 136 young people reporting onset of ongoing disability. The majority (64.7%) of respondents experienced positive mental health before and following onset of disability. However, a significant minority (35.3%) experienced either (a) low mental health both prior to and following onset of disability (19.1%) or (b) mental health deterioration following onset of disability (16.2%).ConclusionTargeting appropriate interventions to the young people with disabilities in these 2 groups could have a significant impact on enduring mental health status.

KW - Disability onset

KW - Mental health

KW - Young people

U2 - 10.1016/j.dhjo.2010.08.001

DO - 10.1016/j.dhjo.2010.08.001

M3 - Journal article

VL - 4

SP - 91

EP - 101

JO - Disability and Health Journal

JF - Disability and Health Journal

SN - 1876-7583

IS - 2

ER -