Association between functional disability type and suicide-related outcomes among U.S. adults with disabilities in the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2015–2019

While research on suicidal behavior for people with disability (PWD) suggests they experience higher risk than people without disability, less is known about variations among individuals with different disability types. This nationally representative, cross-sectional study compared differences in suicide-related outcomes (ideation, planning, attempts) among PWD by functional disability type (hearing, vision, cognitive, mobility, complex activity) and number. Secondary analysis of adult PWD in the 2015–2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (unweighted N = 35,544; representing 47,723,378 PWD, weighted) was used to estimate relationships between suicide-related outcomes and disability type and number. Most respondents were female (55.9%), and 36.0% were aged ≥65 years. Adjusted odds ratios (AORs) from multivariable logistic regression indicated that suicidal ideation and suicide attempt, respectively, were significantly more likely among individuals with cognitive (AOR = 1.71, 95% CI = 1.24–2.35; AOR = 2.54, 95% CI = 1.31–4.91), complex activity (AOR = 1.96, 95% CI = 1.37–2.81; AOR = 2.67, 95% CI = 1.32–5.41), and ≥2 limitations (AOR = 2.02, 95% CI = 1.52–2.69; AOR = 3.46, 95% CI = 1.84–6.50) than hearing limitation. Also, relative to other disability types, suicide-related outcomes were significantly more likely among individuals with cognitive limitation and complex activity limitation (p < 0.001). Additionally, suicide-related outcomes elevated in likelihood as the number of limitations increased, with the largest associations among those with ≥5 limitations for suicidal ideation (AOR = 2.31, 95% CI = 1.46–3.66), suicide planning (AOR = 3.34, 95% CI = 1.97–5.68), and suicide attempt (AOR = 6.37, 95% CI = 3.76–10.79). Subgroup analyses showed that presence of cognitive limitation and multiple limitations differentiated between suicidal ideators and suicide attempters. Further research is needed to identify causes of these risks and develop suicide prevention efforts for these particularly vulnerable groups.