Disability discrimination, disability permanence, and mental health among U.S. adults

Disability is often framed as an inherently negative experience that harms the mental health and well-being of disabled individuals. This perspective, however, ignores the impact of disability discrimination. The relationship between disability discrimination and mental health has been documented in several cultural contexts, but not yet in a large-scale, nationally representative sample in the United States. Additionally, limited research has explored moderators of the relationship between disability discrimination and mental health. The purpose of the present study was to examine the association between disability discrimination and mental health outcomes, as well as the moderating role of disability permanence-a critical yet understudied component of the disability experience-in shaping this relationship.

The present study uses a large national sample of adults with physical disabilities in the United States (N = 5,115), drawn from the second wave of the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions Wave-II.

Our findings reveal that experiencing greater disability discrimination in the prior year predicts greater anxiety and depression, assessed through both symptomology and clinical diagnoses, and that this relationship is stronger for people with temporary (vs. permanent) disabilities.

These results underscore the necessity of addressing disability discrimination in order to promote the mental health and well-being of disabled individuals. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).