OBJECTIVE: To determine the extent to which the lower well-being of young Australians with disabilities could be accounted for by increased rates of exposure to adversity and reduced access to personal, economic, social and community resources. METHODS: Secondary analysis of data extracted from Waves 1 (2001) to 8 (2008) of the annual longitudinal survey of Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia. RESULTS: Self-reported disability was associated with significantly lower scores on all indicators of psychological well-being. However, people self-reporting disability were more likely to be exposed to adversity and less likely to have access to a range of personal, economic, material, social and community resources. When these between-group differences in social context were controlled for, the between-group differences in psychological well-being were largely eliminated. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that, among younger adults in Australia, the association between disability and lower psychological well-being largely reflects their increased risk of exposure to adversity and reduced access to resources, rather than the presence of health conditions or impairments per se. IMPLICATIONS: Public health interventions aimed at improving the well-being of young adults with a disability need to address the predominantly social determinants of well-being in this group.
OBJECTIVE: To determine the extent to which the lower well-being of young Australians with disabilities could be accounted for by increased rates of exposure to adversity and reduced access to personal, economic, social and community resources. METHODS: Secondary analysis of data extracted from Waves 1 (2001) to 8 (2008) of the annual longitudinal survey of Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia. RESULTS: Self-reported disability was associated with significantly lower scores on all indicators of psychological well-being. However, people self-reporting disability were more likely to be exposed to adversity and less likely to have access to a range of personal, economic, material, social and community resources. When these between-group differences in social context were controlled for, the between-group differences in psychological well-being were largely eliminated. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that, among younger adults in Australia, the association between disability and lower psychological well-being largely reflects their increased risk of exposure to adversity and reduced access to resources, rather than the presence of health conditions or impairments per se. IMPLICATIONS: Public health interventions aimed at improving the well-being of young adults with a disability need to address the predominantly social determinants of well-being in this group.
Authors: Pierre DeBeaudrap; Charles Mouté; Estelle Pasquier; Muriel Mac-Seing; Pulchérie U Mukangwije; Gervais Beninguisse Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2019-02-01 Impact factor: 3.390
Authors: Anne Marie Kavanagh; Zoe Aitken; Lauren Krnjacki; Anthony Daniel LaMontagne; Rebecca Bentley; Allison Milner Journal: PLoS One Date: 2015-10-07 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Anne M Kavanagh; Zoe Aitken; Eric Emerson; Sash Sahabandu; Allison Milner; Rebecca Bentley; Anthony D LaMontagne; Jane Pirkis; David Studdert Journal: BMC Public Health Date: 2016-10-31 Impact factor: 3.295