The Association between Perceived Discrimination and Mental Health of Wage Workers with Disabilities: Findings from the Panel Survey of Employment for the Disabled 2016–2018

Despite efforts to integrate society, persons with disabilities (PWD) still experience considerable discrimination. Therefore, this study examined the association between experiences of discrimination and stress/depressive symptoms in wage working PWD. This study used data from the Panel Survey of Employment for the Disabled 2016–2018 in South Korea. This study included 1566 wage working PWD aged 15–64. The dependent variable was stress and depressive symptoms, and the independent variable was the experience of discrimination due to disability in daily life (Never, Rarely, Often, and Regularly) and the experience of discrimination at the workplace (0, 1, 2, ≥3). This study used a generalized estimating equations model to consider the repeated measurement data. Wage working PWD who experienced more discrimination in their daily life due to disability and at workplaces showed a higher odds ratio (OR) of stress and depressive symptoms than those who did not experience discrimination. As a result of the analysis including both discrimination experiences, those who always experienced discrimination due to disability in daily life had the highest OR to stress and depression (OR = 2.64, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.37–5.08; OR = 4.96, 95% CI: 2.58–9.56, respectively). According to the experience at workplaces, wage working PWD who faced discrimination by two factors (OR = 1.66, 95% CI: 1.22–2.25) had the highest OR of stress, and those who experienced three or more factors had the highest OR of depressive symptoms (OR = 1.33, 95% CI: 0.83–2.11). Discrimination due to disability in daily life was more associated with the mental distress of working PWD than discrimination at workplaces. For the mental health of working PWD, not only policies or systems to eliminate discrimination in the workplace, but also overall social integration efforts based on improving awareness, are needed so that they do not experience discrimination in their daily life.