Sadness and Loneliness in Adolescents with Physical, Sensory or Health Problems in Low/Middle-Income Countries

• Published in: Children (Basel) Vol. 10; no. 6; p. 996
• Main Authors: Denche-Zamorano, Angel, García-Gil, María Ángeles, Mendoza-Muñoz, María, Barrios-Fernandez, Sabina
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 01.06.2023; MDPI
• Subjects: adolescence; anxiety; depression; Disabled persons; education; Loneliness; Mental depression; mental health; People with disabilities; Socioeconomic factors; Students; Surveys; Teenagers; Youth; Spain; Ecuador; Cambodia; Senegal; Guatemala; Honduras; Zambia; Paraguay; adolescence; anxiety; education; depression; mental health
• ISSN: 2227-9067; 2227-9067
• DOI: 10.3390/children10060996

Feelings of loneliness and sadness are increasing among the global youth, especially in disadvantaged settings. Young people with disabilities from low-income countries may be at greater risk of experiencing such emotions. This study aims to assess the dependence between difficulties/disability and sadness, loneliness and crying for no reason in young people from low- to middle-income countries and to test the risk of experiencing these emotions in young people with different disabilities versus the overall population. A cross-sectional study was conducted based on the Programme for International Student Assessment for Development survey, with 34,604 participants aged 15 years from seven countries: Cambodia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Paraguay, Senegal, and Zambia. Dependent relationships were found between difficulties/disabilities and loneliness, sadness and crying. People with disabilities had a higher prevalence of these emotions. The probability of experiencing sadness, loneliness and crying was higher among people with difficulties/disabilities. Young people with disabilities in low-income countries are at a higher risk of experiencing feelings of loneliness, sadness and crying compared to the general population of the same age.