Life satisfaction and the moderating role of resilience among disabled young people

The present study examined the association between disability status and life satisfaction among young people (aged 15 to 24) in Canada, as well as interactions between resilience and disability status in relation to life satisfaction. Data from a cross-sectional national survey with Canadian participants were used to compare perceived life satisfaction among disabled and nondisabled young people (N = 1,323). Ordinary least squares regression was used to create four models representing the outcomes of life satisfaction with disability status, resilience, and the interaction between resilience and disability. Postestimation predictive margins and adjusted means were used to report differences in life satisfaction for disabled young people and their nondisabled peers across points of resilience. Life satisfaction was significantly lower for disabled young people compared with nondisabled young people, even after adjusting for health status, stress level, and sociodemographic characteristics (B = -3.621, t = -4.55, p < 0.001). After including resilience, disability status continued to be a significant predictor of life satisfaction, but the effect was mitigated (B = -2.39, t = -3.27, p < 0.001). There were no significant differences in life satisfaction between disabled young people who reported high levels of resilience compared to nondisabled youth (z = 0.82, p = 0.41). These findings suggest that resilience may help narrow disparities in life satisfaction that reflect social and economic inequities rather than disability itself. Strengthening relational, community, and environmental supports that foster resilience may hold promise for promoting well-being among disabled young people within inclusive, supportive systems.