Disability and stress: a study in perspectives

Abstract

In today's society, having a disability can add enrichment and challenge to aspects of life. It can also increase the likelihood of marginalisation within society as people have been shown to react to disability in many discriminatory and stereotypic ways. People with disability often have to face feelings of fear, guilt, pity or discomfort in others in addition to physical barriers and limitations that may be inevitable consequences of some forms of disability. These authors hypothesise that, because of additional challenges in life, people with a disability may report higher than average stress levels. The study aimed to reveal what aspects of life bother people with different forms of disability. Ninety-nine adults with a visual, intellectual or physical disability completed a self-report stress scale. Contrary to expectation, total stress levels did not seem to be unusually high. All participants acknowledged their disability, but only half regarded it as a stressor in itself. Participants with a visual, physical or intellectual disability reported similar levels and patterns of stress with no highly significant differences between the groups. In accord with general research findings, significantly higher stress scores were found for females, those feeling unhealthy, those experiencing a recent major life event and those who found no time to relax. Although not definitive, this study provides preliminary evidence that people with various types of disability do not report particularly high levels of stress despite having to come to terms with particular hardships associated with their disability.