Physical Disability and Depression: A Longitudinal Analysis

Based on a large and representative sample of physically disabled persons resident in the community, this paper considers the association between disability and risk for depression and examines the relevance of stress process variables in accounting for variations in depression. Using two waves of data spaced four years apart, we demonstrate that the disabled are at dramatically elevated risk for depressive symptoms and that this high level of depression characterizes both men and women of all ages. Longitudinal analyses show eventful stress, chronic strain, mastery, and social support to be significant determinants of depression in this population. Only the effects of mastery and social support, however, are clearly observable within all age groups.