Abstract
This study investigates how the probability to live alone has developed among working age individuals with and without disabilities in Sweden during the period 1993–2011 when extensive political reforms to improve the integration of disabled individuals in society were implemented. The results show that individuals with disabilities are approximately twice as likely to be living alone when compared to individuals without disabilities. People with disabilities were also more likely to report low life satisfaction, and this was especially true among individuals with disabilities living alone. Men and women with disabilities also tend to experience longer periods of living as a one-person household than non-disabled people. Over time we find no indications of reduced differences in family outcomes between disabled and non-disabled individuals but rather evidence to the contrary. These differences are interpreted as being the result of the disadvantage disabled individual’s experience in the partner market and that people with disabilities are less successful in forming partnerships that can lead to cohabitation and family formation. The results thus show how disabled individuals still face societal barriers that limit their possibilities to find and sustain relationships that result in stable cohabitation despite increased efforts to improve their inclusion in Swedish society.
Highlights
Among adults, living arrangements such as living alone, with kin or in a conjugal relationship are primarily the result of different individuals’ ability and preferences for family formation and the ability to sustain oneself in an independent household
We find that receiving disability benefits is a good indicator for all-cause disability, using the ULF/SILC survey has the advantage of enabling us to use self-reported indicators of disability status that can be contrasted to the one provided by the external assessment of disability status given by the social insurance agency, which to some extent is affected by changes in legislation and implementation of the laws
Our results show that people with disabilities experience longer periods of living in a one-person household and that both their single status and disability status are associated with reporting a lower quality of life, when compared to people without disabilities and those that cohabit
Summary
Among adults, living arrangements such as living alone, with kin or in a conjugal relationship are primarily the result of different individuals’ ability and preferences for family formation and the ability to sustain oneself in an independent household. Existing studies on family structure and union formation from a number of Western countries find a strong negative association between disability status and the probability of entering marriage or cohabitation (Liu and Zhang 2013; MacInnes 2011; Savage and McConnell 2016; Tumin 2016). In Sweden, there have been very few studies on the impact of disability on different aspects of family behavior and even fewer regarding related issues such as the living arrangements of people with disabilities. Entering old age as a single individual can be a disadvantage, in terms of both health and economic resources, as there is no partner present that one can pool resources with (Tamborini 2007), nor the social support inherent in a marriage (Koball et al 2010). Marital status is one of the most significant predictors of satisfaction with life, together with factors such as financial status, self-esteem, and health status (Kinney and Coyle 1992)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
