National Housing Strategy for People with a Disability 2011 - 2016

Census did not provide details of causes of emotional / psychological disability). The NDSreported 110,600 people with an emotional, psychological & mental health disability, ofthese 68,100 recorded an illness as causing their disability. Chart 9.a is a breakdown of that68,100.Chart 9.a Persons with an Emotional, Psychological and Mental HealthDisability Reporting an Illness18%2%19%Don’t know or unspecified conditionOtherSchizophrenia8%Addiction to alcohol or drugs3%Bi-polar disorder4%46%DepressionAnxiety disorder including phobia or neurosis9.7 There is also an important gender dimension to the experience of a mental healthdisability. According to the World Health Organisation while gender differences in rates ofoverall mental health problems are negligible, there are high significant gender differencesfor depression and anxiety 70 . In the NDS, 53% of those with a mental health disability werefemale compared to 47% male.Living Arrangements Data9.8 Most people with a mental health disability live independently in the community or inmainstream housing. From Census 2006 we know that most of those reporting“psychological or emotional conditions” are living in owner-occupied accommodation 71 - insome cases the person may own their own home, in others, they may be living with theperson who owns the home, e.g. with parents or other family members.9.9 Approved housing bodies also provide supported accommodation for people with amental health disability. In addition, people with mental health disabilities reside in70Gender disparities in mental health (WHO 2001), www.who.int/mental_health/media/en/242.pdf100