Disability, dependency, and demoralization

A person with disabilities faces adaptive problems which can have serious consequences for his/her emotional health. This paper explores the relationships between degree of functional disability, demoralization, and suicidal ideation. The analysis is guided by a theoretical framework which suggests that the relationship between disability and demoralization is a function of the level of dependency and the invasiveness of the dependency into the personal/private aspects of the individual's life. Data were derived from a state-wide sample of individuals residing in Colorado. A sample of 4,745 individuals was sorted into one of five dependency/invasiveness classes on the basis of their responses to a 'level-of-disability' checklist. Using the CES-D as a measure of demoralization, the results indicated that there is a strong relationship between demoralization and our disability/invasiveness classes. Significant differences were also found in terms of suicidal ideation.