Disability Discrimination Affect Mental Health
The term disability is defined as the “permanent or long-term physical, cognitive, emotional or psychiatric impairment that hinders everyday functionality.” Discrimination against people with disabilities can be direct or indirect. The former involves institutions and individuals who block access to education, employment and healthcare. The latter entails interpersonal slights and microaggressions that denigrate or exclude. These types of discrimination are also known as stigmatization.
disability discrimination can lead to isolation from family and friends, which in turn exacerbates mental health symptoms. In the workplace, it can be as subtle as not being invited to team-building events or office get-togethers because of your disability. It can also be as serious as being denied a promotion or even being fired because of a disability.
These issues are especially important because research shows that persons with disabilities experience higher levels of mental distress than those without disability. This is because they may have fewer supports in place, experience less social integration and activity, and feel greater financial strain than their peers. They are also more likely to have poorer quality employment, lower work hours, and to be living in poverty (Brown and Barrett 2011).
How Does Disability Discrimination Affect Mental Health?
In addition, persons with disabilities experience discrimination at higher rates in all areas of their lives. This includes the housing and transportation systems, schools and colleges, places of work, as well as the broader community. The impact of discrimination can be even more significant for those with psychiatric disabilities or conditions that cause pain or discomfort such as arthritis.
It is vital to understand that individuals with psychiatric or other psychiatric disabilities can be classed as disabled under the Equality Act. This includes a person’s current or previous condition, as well as their medical history and any reasonable adjustments that are required. It is essential that employers are clear on what counts as a reasonable adjustment and that managers and supervisors who have face to face contact with staff are aware of the implications of their decisions.
The authors used data from two waves of the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) survey to examine whether the relationships between disability law and three dimensions of psychological well-being are mediated by perceived discrimination. Mediation analyses were conducted with controls for demographic, health and psychosocial factors that could confound the associations. In general, results indicated that the disability-mental health relationship was mediated by perceived discrimination, particularly disrespectful treatment and being treated as if one had a character flaw.
The authors also found that age accounted for some of the differences in the effects of perceived discrimination on mental health outcomes. In particular, younger persons with disabilities reported more frequent experiences of discrimination than their older counterparts. This was especially true of experiencing disrespectful treatment and being treated as if they had a character flaw. In contrast, the effect of being ignored on the same variables was not mediated by age. This suggests that the relative explanatory power of perceived discrimination may decline over the life course.
