“make My Burden Lighter”: Depression and Social Support in Persons With Disability in Ghana - “make My Burden Lighter”: Depression and Social Support in Persons With Disability in Ghana - Open Access Pub

Depression in the general population has been associated with inadequate or lack of social support. Evidence from the disability field has been limited. This study investigated the relationship of perceived social support to depression in Persons with Disability (PWDs) using a descriptive survey design. Data was collected from 317 PWDs using the Beck Depression Inventory Scale (BDI) and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) and analyzed with Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 16 software. Findings revealed significant relationship between perceived social support and depression in PWDs and meaningful social support ameliorated severity of depressive symptoms. Though etiology of acquisition of the disability, either by birth or later in life, had less likelihood on being depressed, respondents who acquired their disability later in life had significant depression levels than those who were born disabled. Implications of findings for the treatment of depression in PWDs are discussed. DOI10.14302/issn.2476-1710.jdt-17-1582 The World Report on disability estimates that more than one billion people of the world’s population live with some form of disability 50 and or some difficulty in functioning 51. The Global Burden of Disease estimates that 190 million (3.8%) have “severe disability” – the equivalent of disability inferred for conditions such as quadriplegia, severe depression, or blindness 50. Depression is now recognized as a common psychological illness in most societies around the world 2, 24 and a leading causing of disability according to a recent World Health Organization estimate 40 and this trend is expected to continue even into the year 2020 52. Depression is a broad concept characterized by symptoms on individuals’ cognitive, emotional, physical and psychological life 17. About 12% of the world’s working population goes on medical leave due to depression with consequent effect on productivity 36, 39. Despite the fact that depression can lead to disability, the presence of disability does not necessarily imply depression. However, the presence of depression in People with Disabilities (PWDs) could bring overwhelming health problems with social, emotional and economic ripple effects since discrimination and stigma, social exclusion and poverty, are more experienced by PWDs 3. Previous studies have shown a gender disparity in the rate of depression among men and women, with twice as more women depressed as men 28. Differences in symptom presentation of depression among children and adults have also