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Depression, anxiety increased in disabled people during pandemic: Study

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Muskan K
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Depression, anxiety increased in disabled people during pandemic: Study
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Oregon, February 5: A new study has found that disabled people have been experiencing high levels of depression and anxiety during the Covid--19 pandemics. The study has been published in the 'Rehabilitation Psychology Journal'.
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"We know that people with disabilities were more socially isolated before the pandemic, so for a variety of reasons, the pandemic has amplified that disparity," said Kathleen Bogart, a co-author on the study and an associate professor of psychology at OSU. publive-image Also Read|
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WHO calls for urgent address of gaps in cancer care People with disabilities are often immunocompromised or have comorbidities that would cause more severe infection from Covid-19, requiring more strict isolation at home to avoid exposure to the virus. The study examined survey responses from 441 adults between October and December 2020 who self-identified as having a disability. In total, 61 percent of participants met the criteria for probable major depressive disorder and 50 percent for probable generalized anxiety disorder, which is much higher than the pre-pandemic baseline among people with and without disabilities, Bogart said. publive-image According to the Anxiety & Depression Association of America, in an average year, roughly 7 percent of all US adults have a major depressive disorder and three percent have a generalized anxiety disorder. Stigma was also a major predictor of depression and anxiety. "Especially early on in the beginning of the pandemic, there were explicit policies in place that disabled people would not be given priority to receive a ventilator or to receive even COVID tests when those were scarce," Bogart said. Medical practitioners were directed to focus resources on patients who were likely to have a "good quality of life" after COVID, but the health care system frequently underestimates the quality of life among disabled people, whether it be someone who uses a wheelchair or someone who has an intellectual disability, she added. Also Read|
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Covid lockdowns linked to increased drinking at home: Study For example, at different points during the pandemic, hospitals and health care centers have delayed or canceled all "non-essential" health care to limit transmission of COVID within their facilities. This means that disabled people cannot access their regularly scheduled health care, including physical therapy or surgery, which can worsen their conditions. publive-image Despite the surge in mental health issues, Bogart sees some hope in the study's findings: Social isolation and access to health care are points that can be addressed fairly easily, such as by connecting via Zoom and capitalizing on telehealth visits when possible. Several large disability organizations have been organizing virtual community events as well, which may be more accessible to some people than in-person events, depending on their disability. For the latest updates on Punjab Assembly elections 2022, click here. -PTC News-
covid-19 anxiety healthcare depression disabilities isolation
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