Children with disabilities are at increased risk of experiencing stressful life events. These events include various forms of abuse, neglect, and household instability, such as exposure to violence, parental or guardian incarceration, and living with someone with mental illness or alcohol or drug problems. Stressful life events experienced in…

Young adults face enormous economic, social and psychological challenges when they transition into adulthood. This transition can be especially overwhelming and daunting for young adults with disabilities. Among the challenges young adults with disabilities are faced with are greater risk of low food security and barriers to healthcare. This study…

This study examined whether siblings of children with disabilities have increased mental health problems, behavioral difficulties, or greater mental health service use as compared to siblings of children without disabilities. Data come from the 2006 National Health Interview Survey. Propensity score matching was used to complete the analysis.…

Pooling National Health Interview Survey 1972-1996 data, this study examines whether the threshold of health is rising, such that individuals are more likely to report poor health based on weaker symptoms. The results suggest that those with some form of disability report poor health more often today than they did in the past. Yet the results also…

Reported here are the results of analyses to describe the patterns of identification and academic and developmental outcomes for children with disabilities, conducted as part of the 2004 National Assessment of the implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This report provides background context for National…

I examine whether individuals respond to monetary incentives to detect latent medical conditions. The effect is identified by a policy that deemed diabetes associated with herbicide exposure a compensable disability under the Veterans Benefits Administration's Disability Compensation program. Since a diagnosis is a requisite for benefit…

Background: Emotional/behavioral difficulties and mental health (MH) service contacts of 3 groups of youth were compared: students in special education for non-MH problems, students in special education for MH problems, and youth not in special education. Methods: Parents reported the characteristics, special education placement,…

This statistical abstract focuses on how many Americans have a disability. It begins by defining "disability" according to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Data are presented from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) that provide the number of Americans with disabilities most consistent with the ADA definition. Graphs…

This statistical digest presents data on the prevalence of disabling conditions among the civilian noninstitutionalized population of the United States. Data were obtained from the National Health Interview Survey, consisting of 49,401 household interviews with 128,412 people in 1992. Disability is defined as a limitation in social or other…

Based on the 1990 Core Questionnaire and Family Resources Supplement of the National Health Interview Survey, involving 108,815 individuals, this report presents estimates of the prevalence of disability in families, selected demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, and utilization of health services by families with and without members with…

This abstract summarizes recent statistics on the prevalence and causes of disability among U.S. children, based on data from the 1992 National Health Interview Survey, a household survey of the noninstitutionalized U.S. population. Analysis indicates that there are difficulties in comparing disability prevalence across age groups; overall, 5.5…

Analyzes possible explanations (changes in survey designs, awareness of parents and physicians and among the institutionalized population) for the near doubling, since 1960, of the proportion of childhood limitations of activity due to chronic illness as reported by the National Health Interview Survey. (Author/GC)

In response to a request from the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA), the Research Triangle Institute (RTI) conducted a study to examine the feasibility of developing functional status measures for planning and implementing services to consumers in the State-Federal Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Services Program. To investigate this…

This research report examined the distribution and incidence of disabilities among minority communities. A review of literature is provided including relevant statistics on the prevalence of disabilities in African Americans and Hispanic Americans. The study used data from the National Health Interview Survey (n=122,859) to determine the…

This report provides results from an investigation of comparative disability risks of specific chronic physical and mental illnesses, diseases, and impairments. National estimates are presented of the risks of chronic health conditions causing disability--including activity limitation, work disability, and need for assistance in basic life…