Disability and emotional abuse: Mental health consequences and social implications

Emotional abuse, one of the most common and least understood of the four types of abuse, is strongly related to disability. People with disabilities are reported to experience rates of abuse at a significantly higher rate than non-disabled people. At the same time, numerous disabilities appear to be highly correlated with abuse, suggesting that there may be a relationship between emotional abuse and disability that should be further explored. Independent of one another, having a disability and experiencing emotional abuse can have profound effects and enduring consequences on individuals and their families. This article discusses factors related to the convergence of both a disability and emotional abuse, and the ways they interact, potentially exacerbating one another. The impact of social stigma surrounding disability and its triggering effects for the perpetuation of emotional abuse are discussed. Finally, suggestions for treatment are offered to helping professionals.