Description/Abstract
Subjective wellbeing (SWB) - being happy or perceiving one’s life has meaning, is critical to good physical health. People who are happier and who report that their lives have meaning are healthier and live longer. In general, individuals with disabilities have worse SWB compared to those without disabilities. This brief summarizes findings from a study that used data from the National Wellbeing Survey collected in early-2021 to examine differences in happiness and perceived meaning in life between U.S. working-age adults (ages 18-64) with versus without a self-care disability (such as difficulty eating, using the toilet, or dressing without assistance) and the role social support plays in improving happiness and meaning in life between these groups. Results show that adults with a self-care disability are less likely to be happy, less likely to feel their lives have meaning, and less likely to receive social support compared to adults without a self-care disability. The authors recommend policy changes to improve the SWB of adults with a self-care disability, such as removing barriers to moving for work and education and promoting disability awareness in social networks.
Document Type
Research Brief
Keywords
Subjective wellbeing, self-care disabilities, activities of daily living
Disciplines
Disability Studies | Public Health | Sociology
Date
9-10-2024
Language
English
Acknowledgements
Thank you to Alyssa Kirk for her assistance with publishing this brief.
Recommended Citation
Vaitsiakhovich, Nastassia, Landes, Scott D., and Monnat, Shannon M. (2024). Differences in Happiness and Perceived Meaning in Life between U.S. Working-Age Adults with versus without a Self-Care Disability. Lerner Center Population Health Research Brief Series. Research Brief #120. Accessed at: www.doi.org/10.14305/rt.asi.2024.1.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
