Disability benefits protect against lost income for South Africans living with Schizophrenia

Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2024 Jul;59(7):1279-1283. doi: 10.1007/s00127-023-02577-y. Epub 2023 Oct 17.

Abstract

Little is known about the economic impact of disability grants for people living with schizophrenia in low- and middle- income countries. In this brief report, we show that receipt of disability benefits is significantly associated (β = 0.105, p < 0.0001) with increased household and personal wealth in large sample of people living with schizophrenia in South Africa (n = 1154). This study provides further support for the use of disability grants as a mechanism to protect people living with schizophrenia and their families against the economic costs associated with schizophrenia.

Keywords: Schizophrenia; Social security disability; Socioeconomic status (SES); South Africa.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • African People
  • Cost of Illness
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Income* / statistics & numerical data
  • Insurance, Disability / statistics & numerical data
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Persons with Disabilities / statistics & numerical data
  • Schizophrenia* / economics
  • Socioeconomic Factors
  • South Africa