Incidence and persistence of psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic among individuals with and without disability

We investigated the incidence (becoming distressed at the follow-up) and persistence (distressed at the baseline and the follow-up) of psychological distress among individuals with and without disability in the period from early 2017 (before the COVID-19 pandemic) to late 2020 (the second wave of the pandemic). We analyzed the population-based FinHealth 2017 survey and its follow-up conducted in 2020 (number of individuals who participated in both surveys: n = 4881; age = 18+). Logistic regressions were applied to investigate differences in the incidence and persistence of psychological distress between people with and without disability. We also investigated whether age, quality of life at the baseline, and perceived increase in loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic moderated the association between disability and the incidence of distress. The incidence of psychological distress was higher (OR = 3.01, 95% CI:2.09–4.35) for people with disability (18.9%) than among those without (7.4%), being highest (31.5%) among the youngest participants with disability, aged 18 to 39. People with disability who had a poor quality of life at the baseline were particularly prone to become distressed during the follow-up. People who reported perceived increase in loneliness during the pandemic were prone to become distressed at the follow-up regardless of their disability status. The persistence of distress was more common (OR = 6.00, 95% CI:3.53–10.12) among people with disability (65.7%) than among those without (24.9%). The COVID-19 pandemic had more negative mental health effects on people with disability, especially adults with disability who were young and had a low quality of life before the pandemic. •Incidence of distress was higher among people with disability than without.•Perceived increase in loneliness associated with distress incidence despite disability status.•Young age and low quality of life increased incidence among people with disability.•Persistence of distress was more common among those with disability than without.•People with disability may need targeted support to prevent psychological distress.