| Abstract [eng] |
Prevalence and Diversity of Mental Disabilities in Lithuania The keywords: mental disability, stigma, disability determination, integration. The aim: To determine the prevalence of mental disability and the opportunities of integration in Lithuania. Objectives: 1. To evaluate the prevalence of mental disability in Lithuania in the period through the period from 2007 to 2015. 2. To identify the prevalence integration and assess the possibilities of integration of people with mental disabilities in Lithuania. 3. To identify actions facilitating integration of people with mental disabilities into society. The methods and volume of the investigation: In order to determine the prevalence of mental disability, data of NDNT of the period of 2007 – 2015 has been analyzed (a quantitative study) and descriptive analysis has been done. In order to clarify the possibilities of integration of people with mental disabilities into society, a quantitative analysis was followed by a conducted qualitative study and individual literature review in Lithuanian and English languages. Triangulation method was applied to verify the findings. The analysis of the statistical data was carried out using the version 22.0 of the software package SPSS for Windows, Microsoft Office Excel 2016 and RStudio 1.0.136 program. Data analysis applied Kolmogorov - Smirnov test, Spearmen correlation test and used binary logistic regression. A qualitative study was carried out using a strictly structured individual interview method. Questions to the informants were sent as a questionnaire via e-mail. The results and conclusions: While analyzing the prevalence of mental disability in Lithuania we faced a lack of data since the latest available data are found only from the year 2007. Analyzing prevalence of disability in the period of 2007 – 2015 there is a noticeable decline observed in working capacity, and the level of disability due to mental disability increases in all regions of Lithuania. It is significant that there are enormous differences in prevalence of mental disability in different counties in Lithuania. Analysis of administrative data of 2079 respondents with mental disability at the Section of Vilnius, NDNT shows that: prevalence of social integration measured by working level in the labour market is 21.7% - i.e. 452 individuals with mental disability were working. (37.4%) of them are working in skilled jobs. Mainly working people lived in Vilnius (64.8%). A weak correlation was found (r = 0.267; p < 0.001), between education and work, but there is no statistically significant differences between the working and the age (p = 0.118). Analyzing of binary logistic regression the social, demographic and behavioral factors influencing the labor market integration of mental disability found that earlier working experience has the greatest influence. Results from the qualitative analysis confirmed the findings of the quantitative analysis. All experts agreed that in Lithuania there is a very high level of stigma of mental disabilities. In order to improve integration possibilities, a significantly higher attention for inclusion of people with mental disabilities should be allocated in the country. Integration would be facilitated by reducing inequalities between urban and rural areas as well as enhancing human resources. |
