The Relationship between Physical Limitations and Depressive Disorders in Adults

Abstract

Depression has a potential impact on adults with physical limitations. The purpose of the study is to determine if adults with physical limitations have a higher chance of being diagnosed with a depressive disorder than persons who are not physically limited. A cross-sectional design was used to determine the relationship between physical limitation and depressive disorders in adults of the state of California. The study also looked to determine if having a physical limitation influences alcohol use in California adults. Survey responses from 21,034 California adults were used in the study, and a 10% random sample was run three times; the 10% random sample used in the analysis for this study includes 2,029 respondents. Self-reported data from the 2015 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) was used to determine the relationship between having a physical limitation and depressive disorders, as well as the relationship between physical limitation and alcohol use. A significant relationship was found between physical limitation and depressive disorders. There is also a significant relationship between physical limitation and alcohol use. The result of this study suggests further studies to investigate other factors that may co-exist with physical limitation and the effects on an individual’s risk of having a depressive disorder or use of alcohol.