physical disabilities

This OTJR: Occupation, Participation, and Health journal article describes a study on relationships between these factors and depression in middle-aged adults with physical disabilities during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors also provided recommendations for OTs looking to address symptoms of depression in their clients. Participants in a larger study of people aging with long-term physical disabilities (ages 45–64) completed a supplemental survey with questions about COVID-19, depression, and factors associated with depression.

This study published in the journal Disabilities examines the initial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on adults with physical disabilities from marginalized communities in southeastern Michigan, one of the early pandemic epicenters in the United States. The study used semi-structured, qualitative interviews with 15 adults with moderate-to-severe disabilities. Three overarching themes emerged: fear, feelings of isolation, and a sense of being invisible. The article is available free in full text.

This webinar presented the findings from a recent study on the initial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on adults with physical disabilities from marginalized communities in Southeast Michigan, one of the early pandemic epicenters in the United States. Interviews with 16 adults revealed how participants either had to engage in risky behavior to have their needs met or avoid risk and not have those needs met. They contribute to understandings of risk, its impact on physical and psychological health, and the importance of accommodations.