World Mental Health Day coincides with the release of a happiness study affecting one in five young Aussies with disability

Key points:

• On October 10, the annual World Mental Health Day coincides with the release of a new study, highlighting the importance of maintaining strong friendships for increased happiness
• Some Australians may find it challenging to meet new people due to physical or mental disability and feel socially isolated
• More than one in five young Australians with disability reported social isolation, compared with 12 percent of 15 to 24-year-olds without disability as per recent data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare

The release of a new study investigating happiness factors falls in line with the celebration of World Mental Health Day, which is held this year on October 10, 2024, by the World Health Organization.

As part of this year’s celebration, the World Health Organization aims to increase the understanding of mental ill health because a ‘lack of support for people with mental health conditions can negatively impact their self-confidence.’

In addition to having reduced self-confidence, some Australians with disability may find it difficult to maintain friendships due to social isolation and could therefore have lower happiness levels. 

Consequently, researchers suggested that ‘single adults might benefit from deliberately creating meaningful, long-term friendships’ as it is linked to improving happiness.

Other researchers have identified that people who feel they are socially isolated or lonely are more likely to experience outcomes such as depression, poor sleep quality and impaired executive function. 

Approximately 23 percent of Australians with disability report mental or behavioural disorders as a main condition, and social isolation affects more Australians with disability compared to peers without disability. 

Spending more time at doctor’s appointments, not working or attending school in person and not engaging in social events can make it harder for someone to build and maintain friendships. 

Additionally, some people who may find social situations challenging, such as people with autism spectrum disorder, may not follow typical social norms, struggle to express themselves or prefer spending more time alone. 

Twenty-one percent of young Australians with disability reported social isolation, compared with 12 percent of 15 to 24-year-olds without disability.

Some people with disability may spend a significant amount of time with a support worker and consider them to be a friend. However, Tammy Milne, Tasmania Associate Director at Physical Disability Australia highlighted previously that a distinction should be made to ensure healthy boundaries are created with support workers on the Physical Disability Australia website.

“Support workers are not your friends,” she said.

“We can not label all people with disabilities as incapable of maintaining a healthy boundary with support workers, but loneliness and isolation can make the most astute of us vulnerable.

“Often people with disabilities spend more time with their support workers than they do with family and friends. 

“I have had some of the most wonderful, supportive support workers come and go in my life.”

Approximately 460,000 care and support workers are employed in Australia according to the latest Care Workforce Labour Market Survey. 

Although support workers are friendly and provide assistance in everyday situations, people with disability can make friends in many other settings such as a community club, at community events, by volunteering or through work. 

If you’re looking to make friends at work, where you volunteer or at a community event, introduce yourself and engage in small talk. After you feel comfortable with someone, see if they’d like to have lunch together. Additionally, helping others with their work can be helpful to start conversations.

One NDIS participant, Belinda, commented on how much she enjoys working at Geelong

Football Club’s women’s team as a water girl, in the latest NDIS Quarterly report.

“I knew I could do it. It’s been so much fun. I love getting to know the players and making friends,” she said.

Maintaining current friendships is also a valuable use of time and ways of spending time with others include going to see a movie, baking a cake or cookies together or having a chat over coffee.

Approximately 5.5 Australians live with disability, according to the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. 

What are your favourite ways of making friends?

Let the team at Talking Disability know on social media. 

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