Disability & Mental Health

Article by Patrick Grant

For many disabled individuals, their disability and their mental health are closely related subjects. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), adults with disabilities report frequent mental distress (classified as 14 or more unhealthy days of the last 30) almost five times more often than those without.⁽³⁾ The disabled population is at higher risk of substance use disorder and suicidality compared to the general population, as well.⁽²⁾ Stressful situations may also cause some people with disabilities to react strongly, possibly even more strongly than someone without a disability.⁽¹⁾

There are a number of reasons for a potential strong reaction to stress: People with disabilities face barriers, both metaphorical and sometimes literal, just going about their day-to-day lives due to lack of accessibility or even discrimination. Medical providers may not be trained or educated in meeting the needs of those with disabilities. Likewise, getting treatment may be hard for patients with intellectual or developmental disabilities, who may interpret screening questions differently than patients without a disability.⁽²⁾ Those with disabilities can also be at higher risk due to illness, including from COVID-19.⁽¹⁾ With so many potential stressors, higher rates of mental distress should be no surprise.