{"id":20972,"date":"2024-11-21T12:23:14","date_gmt":"2024-11-21T17:23:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hdi.uky.edu\/merge\/?p=20972"},"modified":"2024-11-21T12:23:15","modified_gmt":"2024-11-21T17:23:15","slug":"loneliness-and-isolation-unseen-barriers-for-people-with-disabilities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hdi.uky.edu\/merge\/loneliness-and-isolation-unseen-barriers-for-people-with-disabilities\/","title":{"rendered":"Loneliness and Isolation: Unseen Barriers for People with Disabilities"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Just like anyone else, people with disabilities experience mental health conditions like anxiety and depression, as well as feelings of loneliness and isolation. Merge, an HDI project focused on mental health, interviewed people with disabilities and mental health conditions across Kentucky to learn more about their experiences.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>People with disabilities get stressed about everyday life, their jobs, paying their bills, and meeting deadlines. An inclusive mental health provider focuses on the health and well-being of the whole person, not just their experience with their disability.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-spacer stk-block-spacer stk--no-padding stk-block stk-8a2dc7d\" data-block-id=\"8a2dc7d\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-image stk-block-image stk-block stk-70183a7\" data-block-id=\"70183a7\"><style>.stk-70183a7 {margin-bottom:50px !important;}.stk-70183a7 .stk-img-wrapper{width:70% !important;height:453px !important;}.stk-70183a7 .stk-img-wrapper img{object-position:50% 48% !important;}<\/style><figure><span class=\"stk-img-wrapper stk-image--shape-stretch stk--has-lightbox\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"stk-img wp-image-21061\" src=\"https:\/\/hdi.uky.edu\/merge\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/11\/1.png\" width=\"1080\" height=\"1080\" alt=\"\u201cPeople assume because you have a disability that you\u2019re automatically depressed about [having] a disability, when really you may be depressed about other \u2018normal\u2019 things, like life, a job, your household, and money that have nothing to do with your disability. People struggle to understand people with disabilities have other things going on besides dealing with their disability.\u201d\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hdi.uky.edu\/merge\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/11\/1.png 1080w, https:\/\/hdi.uky.edu\/merge\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/11\/1-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/hdi.uky.edu\/merge\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/11\/1-1024x1024.png 1024w, https:\/\/hdi.uky.edu\/merge\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/11\/1-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/hdi.uky.edu\/merge\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/11\/1-768x768.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\" \/><\/span><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>During the interviews, one of the most consistently reported mental health concerns was loneliness, often exacerbated by social isolation. Social isolation is a lack of contact with community, relationships, and other social supports. Loneliness is the emotional distress someone feels when their social relationships lack their desired quality or quantity.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Loneliness and social isolation have negative effects on both mental and physical health, including anxiety, sleep problems, and increased dementia. People with disabilities experience higher rates of loneliness and social isolation than people without disabilities and are at risk of physical and mental health impacts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One Merge interviewee who lives in a long-term care facility feels a lack of support in her mental health journey while also feeling like she has little privacy. After her relationship with her family was damaged, she lost a majority of her social life. Because of that loss, she wanted to be more involved in her community, but transportation and the need of a direct support person is a significant obstacle as she can\u2019t stay out on her own for longer than a few hours.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-spacer stk-block-spacer stk--no-padding stk-block stk-2407fe8\" data-block-id=\"2407fe8\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-image stk-block-image stk-block stk-117e4ce\" data-block-id=\"117e4ce\"><style>.stk-117e4ce {margin-bottom:50px !important;}.stk-117e4ce .stk-img-wrapper{width:70% !important;height:453px !important;}.stk-117e4ce .stk-img-wrapper img{object-position:50% 48% !important;}<\/style><figure><span class=\"stk-img-wrapper stk-image--shape-stretch stk--has-lightbox\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"stk-img wp-image-21062\" src=\"https:\/\/hdi.uky.edu\/merge\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/11\/2-2.png\" width=\"1080\" height=\"1080\" alt=\"Everyone in life has challenges. People with disabilities get excluded from so many parts of life because people don\u2019t want us to have risks or to mess up, but this is how you learn and live a full life.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hdi.uky.edu\/merge\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/11\/2-2.png 1080w, https:\/\/hdi.uky.edu\/merge\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/11\/2-2-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/hdi.uky.edu\/merge\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/11\/2-2-1024x1024.png 1024w, https:\/\/hdi.uky.edu\/merge\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/11\/2-2-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/hdi.uky.edu\/merge\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/11\/2-2-768x768.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\" \/><\/span><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Another interviewee discussed his experience as a disability rights advocate in the 1980s and being institutionalized as a child. This person now lives independently; however, he often feels isolated. His caretaker frequently refuses to meet his needs or provide transportation to advocacy groups and mingle nights, both of which he notes are much-needed solutions for his loneliness and isolation. While he believes a vacation would be beneficial to his mental health, he says the waiver he\u2019s on doesn\u2019t provide enough money for him to do so.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Many others reported similar experiences and indicated loneliness and isolation damaged their mental health. Meanwhile, others reported when they had more positive social connections, particularly with those who understood their struggles, it had a positive impact on their physical and mental health.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-spacer stk-block-spacer stk--no-padding stk-block stk-4d3f1f2\" data-block-id=\"4d3f1f2\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-image stk-block-image stk-block stk-7fe9799\" data-block-id=\"7fe9799\"><style>.stk-7fe9799 {margin-bottom:50px !important;}.stk-7fe9799 .stk-img-wrapper{width:70% !important;height:453px !important;}.stk-7fe9799 .stk-img-wrapper img{object-position:50% 48% !important;}<\/style><figure><span class=\"stk-img-wrapper stk-image--shape-stretch stk--has-lightbox\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"stk-img wp-image-21063\" src=\"https:\/\/hdi.uky.edu\/merge\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/11\/3-1.png\" width=\"1080\" height=\"1080\" alt=\"\u201cI always did better when I had multiple and different support systems in my life. Not necessarily therapy, but friends, mentors, and other people that could teach me things or tell me that it will be okay.\u201d\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hdi.uky.edu\/merge\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/11\/3-1.png 1080w, https:\/\/hdi.uky.edu\/merge\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/11\/3-1-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/hdi.uky.edu\/merge\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/11\/3-1-1024x1024.png 1024w, https:\/\/hdi.uky.edu\/merge\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/11\/3-1-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/hdi.uky.edu\/merge\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/11\/3-1-768x768.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\" \/><\/span><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>One interviewee mentioned he had a teacher with similar disabilities to himself who helped him a lot. Another mentioned their involvement with a community group for transgender people greatly improved their mental health. They also mentioned friends and mentors as another important part of their social support system.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Improving social determinants of health, or the conditions in the environments where we are born, live, work, and play affects our health and quality-of-life. Feeling a sense of personal well-being increases life satisfaction, sense of meaning and belonging, and social connectedness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-spacer stk-block-spacer stk--no-padding stk-block stk-8f8f1d0\" data-block-id=\"8f8f1d0\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-stackable-image stk-block-image stk-block stk-15f0832\" data-block-id=\"15f0832\"><style>.stk-15f0832 {margin-bottom:50px !important;}.stk-15f0832 .stk-img-wrapper{width:70% !important;height:453px !important;}.stk-15f0832 .stk-img-wrapper img{object-position:50% 48% !important;}<\/style><figure><span class=\"stk-img-wrapper stk-image--shape-stretch stk--has-lightbox\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"stk-img wp-image-21064\" src=\"https:\/\/hdi.uky.edu\/merge\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/11\/4-1.png\" width=\"1080\" height=\"1080\" alt=\"\u201cTreat people with disabilities just as you would treat anyone else. Don\u2019t treat them like they're broken or damaged because they are not. In my experience, people with disabilities want what people without disabilities want. This includes a fulfilling life with love, care and support.\u201d\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hdi.uky.edu\/merge\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/11\/4-1.png 1080w, https:\/\/hdi.uky.edu\/merge\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/11\/4-1-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/hdi.uky.edu\/merge\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/11\/4-1-1024x1024.png 1024w, https:\/\/hdi.uky.edu\/merge\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/11\/4-1-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/hdi.uky.edu\/merge\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/11\/4-1-768x768.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\" \/><\/span><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Everyone faces challenges related to mental health; however, people with disabilities\u2019 mental health is often compounded by social isolation and loneliness. The experiences shared through Merge interviews highlight the need for inclusive, whole-person mental health care that addresses the full range of life experiences.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Support systems, including mental health and other providers, friends, mentors, and community involvement significantly improves mental well-being. Addressing social determinants of health, such as access to community and relationships, is essential for fostering a sense of belonging and personal fulfillment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Just like anyone else, people with disabilities experience mental health conditions like anxiety and depression, as well as feelings of loneliness and isolation. Merge, an HDI project focused on mental health, interviewed people with disabilities and mental health conditions across Kentucky to learn more about their experiences.&nbsp; People with disabilities get stressed about everyday life, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":34,"featured_media":21065,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[19],"class_list":["post-20972","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-merge-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hdi.uky.edu\/merge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20972","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hdi.uky.edu\/merge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hdi.uky.edu\/merge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hdi.uky.edu\/merge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/34"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hdi.uky.edu\/merge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20972"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hdi.uky.edu\/merge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20972\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hdi.uky.edu\/merge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21065"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hdi.uky.edu\/merge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20972"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hdi.uky.edu\/merge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20972"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hdi.uky.edu\/merge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20972"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}