Report: People With Disabilities At Greater Risk Of Violence And Mental Illness

(Kings College London)
February 27, 2013

LONDON, ENGLAND– [Excerpt provided by Inclusion Daily Express] People with disabilities are at a greater risk of being the victims of violence and of suffering mental ill health when victimized, according to new research published in the open access journal PLOS ONE by researchers from King’s College London’s Institute of Psychiatry and UCL (University College London).

A recent World Report on Disability highlighted violence as a leading cause of morbidity among disabled people. The research published today is the first to assess the extent to which people with disabilities experience different kinds of violence and the associated health and economic costs.

The authors analyzed data from the 2009-2010 British Crime Survey to estimate the odds of a person with physical or mental disabilities experiencing physical, sexual, domestic or non-domestic violence. The survey did not include individuals with disabilities living in institutions.

Dr. Paul Moran, from King’s Institute of Psychiatry and co-author of the study, says: “Our study highlights that, contrary to popular opinion, people with mental health problems are much more likely to be victims of violence as opposed to perpetrators of violence. Moreover, the psychological impact of violent victimisation is likely to be more severe for those with pre-existing disability. Unsurprisingly, this is associated with a huge amount of suffering and a substantial economic burden.”

Entire article:
People with disabilities at greater risk of violence and mental illness
http://tinyurl.com/ide0227132a
Related report:
Violence against People with Disability in England and Wales: Findings from a National Cross-Sectional Survey
http://tinyurl.com/ide0227132b