The impact of the disability support pension on mental health: evidence from 14 years of an Australian cohort
Abstract Objective: To assess the effect of the Australian Disability Support Pension (DSP) on the symptomology of depression and anxiety over and above the effects of reporting a disability itself. Methods: We used the Household Income Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey from 2004 to 2017....
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2020-08-01
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| Series: | Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1111/1753-6405.13011 |
| _version_ | 1797765721747357696 |
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| author | Allison Milner Anne Kavanagh Ashley McAllister Zoe Aitken |
| author_facet | Allison Milner Anne Kavanagh Ashley McAllister Zoe Aitken |
| author_sort | Allison Milner |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Objective: To assess the effect of the Australian Disability Support Pension (DSP) on the symptomology of depression and anxiety over and above the effects of reporting a disability itself. Methods: We used the Household Income Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey from 2004 to 2017. We used fixed effects regression to understand mental health differences (using the Mental Health Inventory‐5 [MHI‐5]) when a person reported: i) a disability; or ii) a disability and receiving the DSP) compared to when they reported no disability. The models controlled for time‐varying changes in the severity of the disability and other time‐related confounders. Results: There was a 2.97‐point decline (95%CI −3.26 to −2.68) in the MHI‐5 when a person reported a disability compared to waves in which they reported no disability and 4.48‐point decline (95%CI −5.75 to −3.22) when a person reported both a disability and being on the DSP compared to waves in which they reported neither. Conclusions: Results suggest that accessing and being in receipt of the DSP can impact the mental health of people with disabilities. Implications for public health: Government income support policies should address the unintended adverse consequences in already vulnerable populations. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T20:15:08Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f70fe2cfaf3645b2afb70b9762934c3c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1326-0200 1753-6405 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T20:15:08Z |
| publishDate | 2020-08-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-f70fe2cfaf3645b2afb70b9762934c3c2023-08-02T01:27:32ZengElsevierAustralian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health1326-02001753-64052020-08-0144430731210.1111/1753-6405.13011The impact of the disability support pension on mental health: evidence from 14 years of an Australian cohortAllison Milner0Anne Kavanagh1Ashley McAllister2Zoe Aitken3Disability and Health Unit, Centre for Health Equity, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health The University of Melbourne VictoriaDisability and Health Unit, Centre for Health Equity, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health The University of Melbourne VictoriaDisability and Health Unit, Centre for Health Equity, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health The University of Melbourne VictoriaDisability and Health Unit, Centre for Health Equity, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health The University of Melbourne VictoriaAbstract Objective: To assess the effect of the Australian Disability Support Pension (DSP) on the symptomology of depression and anxiety over and above the effects of reporting a disability itself. Methods: We used the Household Income Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey from 2004 to 2017. We used fixed effects regression to understand mental health differences (using the Mental Health Inventory‐5 [MHI‐5]) when a person reported: i) a disability; or ii) a disability and receiving the DSP) compared to when they reported no disability. The models controlled for time‐varying changes in the severity of the disability and other time‐related confounders. Results: There was a 2.97‐point decline (95%CI −3.26 to −2.68) in the MHI‐5 when a person reported a disability compared to waves in which they reported no disability and 4.48‐point decline (95%CI −5.75 to −3.22) when a person reported both a disability and being on the DSP compared to waves in which they reported neither. Conclusions: Results suggest that accessing and being in receipt of the DSP can impact the mental health of people with disabilities. Implications for public health: Government income support policies should address the unintended adverse consequences in already vulnerable populations.https://doi.org/10.1111/1753-6405.13011disability pensiondisability supportmental healthcohortfixed effects regression |
| spellingShingle | Allison Milner Anne Kavanagh Ashley McAllister Zoe Aitken The impact of the disability support pension on mental health: evidence from 14 years of an Australian cohort Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health disability pension disability support mental health cohort fixed effects regression |
| title | The impact of the disability support pension on mental health: evidence from 14 years of an Australian cohort |
| title_full | The impact of the disability support pension on mental health: evidence from 14 years of an Australian cohort |
| title_fullStr | The impact of the disability support pension on mental health: evidence from 14 years of an Australian cohort |
| title_full_unstemmed | The impact of the disability support pension on mental health: evidence from 14 years of an Australian cohort |
| title_short | The impact of the disability support pension on mental health: evidence from 14 years of an Australian cohort |
| title_sort | impact of the disability support pension on mental health evidence from 14 years of an australian cohort |
| topic | disability pension disability support mental health cohort fixed effects regression |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1111/1753-6405.13011 |
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