According to the data given by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, about 4.4 million people in Australia have a disability. Disability means a total or partial loss of a person’s bodily or mental functions.

It is a multidimensional concept involving the interaction between a health condition and environmental and personal factors. The connection between disability and mental health is complex and has to do more with the social and ideological barriers that disabled people encounter.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare also claims that people with disabilities tend to experience higher levels of psychological distress compared to those without any disability.

But we are here to spread the thought that a person with a disability can enjoy life to the fullest regardless of their challenges and difficulties. But mental health plays a crucial role here and is one of the most important ways to help someone with a disability so that we can recognize the signs of mental distress.

Common signs of poor mental health

The signs of poor mental health are very different, and they vary from person to person. But some of the common early symptoms one can identify in themselves of their loved ones who are disabled are:

  • Apathy
  • Sleep or appetite changes
  • Mood swings
  • Withdrawal
  • Drop in functioning
  • Nervousness
  • Unusual behavior
  • Suicidal thoughts
  • Increased sensitivity to sights, sounds, smells, or touch
  • Feeling disconnected

What are the factors that affect people living with disabilities?

We feel each and every person is special, and those with disabilities are unique. However, there are some common reasons that may make a disabled individual vulnerable to mental health issues.

Some of them are:

  • Loss of purpose in life: many people work towards a particular life or career goal, and acquiring that goal with a disability no longer allows them to work in that career or pursue their goals, which can eventually affect their sense of purpose. This health problem that leads to loss of employment or loss of purpose can lead to depression and other health problems.
  • Low self-esteem: people with disabilities often suffer from the reaction of others to them, which lowers their self-esteem and forms the tendency to take less care of themselves.

At GC Nursing Service, we want to make everyone’s lives easier by making sure that our clients get to live a normal life without something holding them back.

Our experienced nurses ensure that our clients are provided holistic and person-centered care so that they are happy with themselves and find the best way to deal with their mental health through a positive approach.