Mental distress, alcohol misuse, and cigarette use among persons with auditory, vision, or cognitive disabilities

BackgroundA scarcity of literature has compared the behavioral health outcomes - mental distress, alcohol misuse, and cigarette use, specifically - of individuals with and without auditory, vision, and cognitive disabilities. A better understanding of these differences could result in improved healthcare services for this important population.MethodsWe obtained self-report survey data from individuals living in 35 states in the United States (n = 100,505) from the 2016-2019 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). We estimated linear and generalized linear mixed models accounting for state of residence, the BRFSS complex survey design weights, and sociodemographic variables.ResultsAuditory (b = 0.79, p < .001), vision (b = 2.95, p < .001), and cognitive disabilities (b = 6.02, p < .001) were associated with increases in the number of self-reported mentally distressed days. Cognitive (aOR = 1.56, p < .001) and vision disabilities (aOR = 1.86, p < .001) were associated with increased likelihood of cigarette use. Cognitive disability (aOR = 1.18, p < .001) was associated with heavy alcohol consumption.ConclusionRecommendations for behavioral healthcare service delivery for these populations are provided.