Work

Disability, Discrimination, and Mental Health during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Stress Process Model

Year: 2022

Type: article

Abstract: = 2,043), this investigation examined the association of social stressors stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic with ableism or disability-related discrimination. We further assessed the significance of these associations for variation by disability status in psychological well-being with a moderated mediation analysis. Study findings provide clear evidence that greater pandemic-related stressor exposure was associated with greater discrimination, which in turn increased the psychologically distressing aspects of the pandemic for people with disabilities relative to people without disabilities. This set of findings challenges us to think about how we engage in research concerning ableism and the proliferation of macro-level stressors such as those associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings also support the application of a minority stress model in addressing mental health contingencies among people with disabilities-in this case, in examining the pandemic's psychological impact.

Source: Society and Mental Health

DOI: 10.1177/21568693221115347

Authors: Robyn Lewis Brown, Gabriele Ciciurkaite

Institutions: University of Kentucky, Utah State University

Language: English

Topic: Disability Rights and Representation

Subfield: Safety Research

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Good health and well-being, Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: green

Funder: National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research