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The effects of disability onset age, disability onset type and the perception of disability on depression
Abstract
This study uses data from the 1994 and 1995 National Health Interview Survey on Disability to examine the effects of disability onset age, disability onset type and the perception of disability on self-reported depression. Logistic regression analyses predicting the likelihood of reporting a major depressive episode during the previous year indicate that onset of disability in later life is associated with reduced odds of experiencing depression. Until middle age, however, disability onset as a young adult is associated with a greater likelihood of experiencing depression compared to childhood onset. At middle age and older, earlier onset of disability is associated with elevated risks of experiencing depression. Results indicate that the sudden onset of disability caused by an accident or injury has no effect on the experience of depression. The self-perception of disability, however, is related to substantially greater risks of experiencing depression. The study controls for age, sex, income, education, employment status, race or ethnicity, marital status, perceived health, and disability severity.
Subject Area
Sociology
Recommended Citation
Willett, Jeffrey Glen, "The effects of disability onset age, disability onset type and the perception of disability on depression" (2004). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI3142106.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI3142106