Self-Reported Well-Being of Women and Men With Intellectual Disabilities in England

Abstract

We investigated the association between indicators of subjective well-being and the personal characteristics, socioeconomic position, and social relationships of a sample of 1,273 English adults with intellectual disabilities. Mean overall happiness with life was 71% of the scale maximum, a figure only marginally lower than typically reported among the general population. Variation in subjective well-being was strongly and consistently related to indicators of socioeconomic position and, to a lesser extent, social relationships. For women, being single was associated with greater well-being on all indicators. For men, there was no association between marital status and well-being. Relationships with friends who also had intellectual disabilities appeared to be protective against feeling helpless.