Predicting depression and anxiety among adults with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Abstract

Purpose/Objective: Emerging research has highlighted sources of magnified stress and trauma for people with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic, as compared to others in the general population. However, little research has examined the mental health impact of the pandemic on people with disabilities in relation to disability-related stigma, social isolation, and demographic characteristics. The present study therefore sought to identify predictors of depression and anxiety symptoms among U.S. adults with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic.Research Methods/Designs: Data were collected online between October and December 2020. U.S. adults with disabilities (n = 441) completed self-report measures of depression, anxiety, psychosocial processes, and a range of demographic and disability characteristics.Results: In our sample, 61.0% and 50.0% of participants met criteria for a probable diagnosis of major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder, respectively. Participants also experienced significantly higher levels of disability-related stigma and social isolation compared to pre-pandemic norms. Hierarchical regression analyses identified higher social isolation, presence of chronic pain, younger age, higher disability-related stigma, and higher worries about contracting COVID-19 as significant predictors of both depression and anxiety symptoms. Conclusion/implications:This study highlights important demographic and psychosocial predictors of mental health risks for people with disabilities in the context of COVID-19.Findings further underscore the need to attend to those at elevated risk within the disability community as rehabilitation professionals, disability organizations, and policymakers work to support people with disabilities in post-pandemic recovery and create a more equitable response to ongoing and future public health crises.

Narrative identity among people with disabilities in the United States during the Covid-19 pandemic: The interdependent self

“…Umucu and Less (2021) also found substantial rates of anxiety and depression among PWDs during the pandemic and examined both adaptive and maladaptive coping strategies associated with these outcomes. Our own questionnaire-based work ( Wang et al, 2022 ) similarly found high rates of depression and anxiety among PWDs (61% and 50% respectively) and identified elevated experiences of disability-related stigma and social isolation relative to pre-pandemic norms.…”

“…Data for the current study were taken from a larger online survey that investigated the psychosocial impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on PWDs in the United States ( Wang et al, 2022 ). There is only one prior publication based on this dataset, which reports exclusively on the quantitative data that were collected ( Wang et al, 2022 ) 2 . Participants were eligible for the broader study if they 1) self-identified as disabled, 2) were 18 years of age or older, and 3) lived in the United States.…”

Social, Economic and Overall Health Impacts of COVID-19 on People Living with Disabilities in King County, WA

“…Amongst the 35 people with disabilities interviewed for this study, 94% reported feeling anxious or depressed more often during the pandemic [ 34 ]. Other national studies have found elevated anxiety and depression results in the community of people living with disability [ 35 , 36 ].…”

Legal restrictions and mitigation strategies amongst a disabled population during COVID-19

“…A UK study during COVID-19 found that PwD are at greater risk of severe outcomes and death than the general population ( Bosworth et al, 2021 ). The global pandemic has disproportionately affected PwD, in terms of not just access to healthcare, but also to support services and networks, the ability to remain physically active, and their loneliness and mental health ( Czeisler et al, 2021 ; Jesus et al, 2021 ; Okoro et al, 2021 ; Wang et al, 2022 ). German data show that PwD generally are more engaged with protective strategies ( Lippke et al, 2022 ).…”