Psychological effects of living with a disability
Living with a disability comes with its many drawbacks, one of them being the psychological effects that build up as an adolescent. As a child grows up with a disability they often experience more psychological distress, such as depression and anxiety, compared to children without a disability. During early ages of life the mind is more sensitive and susceptible to mental distress, this is extremely dangerous because high levels can lead to harmful effects across the rest of a person's life-time, if a child had a disability this could further harm them. That is why it is very important that these levels of distress do not get out of hand, as a child with a disability is more likely to experience these distresses it is extremely important that this is taken note of to get help to prevent further severity.
Peer relations
As a child grows up with a disability, like any other child, they interact with their peers in an educational environment. When a child is in poor health or has a physical disability it can affect their self image and self confidence. Children are very observant, so when they notice and realize that they are different from their friends, or being treated differently by their peers it harms their self image and confidence because they want to be like everyone else around them and get made fun of for not being so. Children often crave this feeling of wanting to be just like their friends, when they are not other children around them tend to see the disabled child as a less desirable friend compared to a healthy child who can run around and play on the playground just like they can. This idea doesn't just exist during childhood, it lasts through elementary, middle, high school, and potentially for the rest of their life. Because of this adolescents are two to three times more likely to be bullied than adolescents without a disability.
Bullying can be a large part in a disabled child's development. Bullying could look like; verbal abuse (name calling, slurs), mean notes, cyber bullying, threats, and/or physical assault. Because of bullying it can cause a child to lose interest in their hobbies, not do well in school, and severely affects an adolescents mental health. An adolescent with a disability is more susceptible to being bullied and the effects that come along with it.
What can be done?
In order to combat and improve upon the mental health of children growing up with a disability more exposure to the issue can be highly effective. There have been anti-bullying programs for vulnerable groups of people such as ethnic minorities, and LGBTI+ communities but there is an extreme lack of focus on bullying on adolescents and children with disabilities. Along with this, advocating for yourself and others can make more of a difference than you may realize. If you were disabled or knew someone who is and they are struggling with bullying it is important to speak up and take action of the situation. This could look like talking to an adult, or speaking up to a bully. In terms of a disabled adolescents mental health, it is very important that levels of distress do not get out of hand, as a child with a disability is more likely to experience these distresses it is extremely important that this is taken note of to get help to prevent further severity, mentally and/or physically, via therapy techniques.
References
The Long-Term Impact of Childhood Disability on Mental Health Trajectories in Mid-
to Late-Life. (2021, December 28). NCBI. Retrieved September 14, 2024, from
Teen depression: teenagers with disability. (2023, September 8). Raising Children
Network. Retrieved September 14, 2024, from
King, T., & Kavanagh, A. (2018, August 9). Disabled teens suffering the mental health
effects of bullying. The Conversation. Retrieved September 14, 2024, from
Students with Disabilities - National Bullying Prevention Center. (n.d.). PACER Center.
Retrieved September 14, 2024, from
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