title: Becoming disabled: The association between disability onset in younger adults and subsequent changes in productive engagement, social support, financial hardship and subjective wellbeing.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Very few population-based studies have investigated the association between the onset of health conditions/impairments associated with disability and subsequent well-being.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine the association between the onset of disability and four indicators of well-being (full-time engagement in employment or education, financial hardship, social support, subjective well-being) among a nationally representative sample of Australian adolescents and young adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  Secondary analysis of the first eight waves (2001-2008) of the survey of Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For financial hardship and subjective well-being, the majority of participants belonged to trajectory classes for which there was no evidence that the onset of disability was associated with a subsequent lowering of well-being. For participation in employment and education, the majority of participants belonged to trajectory classes for which there was evidence of a modest immediate reduction in participation rates followed by subsequent stability. For social support, the majority of participants belonged to trajectory classes for which there was evidence of a modest temporary reduction in support followed by rebound back to initial levels. Membership of classes associated with poorer outcomes was associated with a number of covariates including: male gender; younger age of disability onset; being born overseas; not living with both parents at age 14; lower proficiency in the English language; and parental education being year 12 or below.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of our analyses illustrate the existence of clear empirically defined trajectory classes following the onset of disability across a range of indicators of well-being.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Disability Research and Policy, University of Sydney, Australia. Electronic address: Eric.emerson@lancaster.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Emerson
authors.affiliation: Centre for Disability Research and Policy, University of Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Maina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kariuki
authors.affiliation: Centre for Disability Research and Policy, University of Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Honey
authors.affiliation: Centre for Disability Research and Policy, University of Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Gwynnyth
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Llewellyn
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D006233:Persons with Disabilities; D004522:Educational Status; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants; D004651:Employment; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D007802:Language; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011379:Prognosis; D012737:Sex Factors; D012944:Social Support; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Employment; Onset of disability; Social inclusion; Well-being