TY - JOUR

T1 - The mental health of young people with disabilities

T2 - impact of social conditions

AU - Honey, Anne

AU - Emerson, Eric

AU - Llewellyn, Gwynnyth

PY - 2011/1

Y1 - 2011/1

N2 - Background Young people with disabilities have poorer mental health than their non-disabled peers. However, people with disabilities are more likely than others to experience financial hardship and low social support, both of which have been linked with poor mental health outcomes. This article explores the extent to which the relatively poor mental health of young people with disabilities is related to the social conditions in which they live.Methods Secondary analysis was performed on Wave 6 (2006) of the survey of Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA). This nationally representative sample included 3,392 young Australians, aged 15–29, of whom 475 reported having a long-term health condition, impairment or disability.Results Young people with disabilities reported poorer mental health than their non-disabled peers. However, this relationship was moderated by both social adversity and social support, with minimal differences in mental health observed between the groups under conditions of high social support and low financial hardship.Discussion The results suggest that disability represents a potential adversity that may be exacerbated or ameliorated by the effects of wealth/financial hardship and social support.Conclusion It may be possible to improve the mental health of disabled people by addressing their social exclusion.

AB - Background Young people with disabilities have poorer mental health than their non-disabled peers. However, people with disabilities are more likely than others to experience financial hardship and low social support, both of which have been linked with poor mental health outcomes. This article explores the extent to which the relatively poor mental health of young people with disabilities is related to the social conditions in which they live.Methods Secondary analysis was performed on Wave 6 (2006) of the survey of Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA). This nationally representative sample included 3,392 young Australians, aged 15–29, of whom 475 reported having a long-term health condition, impairment or disability.Results Young people with disabilities reported poorer mental health than their non-disabled peers. However, this relationship was moderated by both social adversity and social support, with minimal differences in mental health observed between the groups under conditions of high social support and low financial hardship.Discussion The results suggest that disability represents a potential adversity that may be exacerbated or ameliorated by the effects of wealth/financial hardship and social support.Conclusion It may be possible to improve the mental health of disabled people by addressing their social exclusion.

KW - Disability

KW - Young people

KW - Mental health

KW - Social support

KW - Financial hardship

U2 - 10.1007/s00127-009-0161-y

DO - 10.1007/s00127-009-0161-y

M3 - Journal article

VL - 46

SP - 1

EP - 10

JO - Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology

JF - Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology

SN - 0933-7954

IS - 1

ER -