Are Deaf or Hearing Impaired People More Susceptible to Mental Illnesses?
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Are deaf or hard of hearing people more susceptible to mental illnesses?
The ability to communicate is at the heart of good mental health. Within any large group of people, one may expect to find a smaller group with mental health issues. However, in addition to conquering the difficulties associated with the inability to effectively communicate, individuals in the deaf community must also attempt to find mental health facilities that can accommodate their special circumstances. With all the challenges that face these individuals, it would come to no surprise to learn whether they are more prone to mental health problems than hearing individuals. First, any diagnoses of any mental health issue in the United States comes from one book, the DSM IV- the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Version IV. This bible of the mental health field is separated into five sections, though the first two are most prevalent in the studies to follow. The first section is Axis I, listing and describing the Clinical disorders including major mental disorders and learning disorders, such as depression, schizophrenia, ADHD, and bipolar disorder. Axis II lists Personality disorders such as paranoid personality disorder and dependent personality disorder, and mental retardation. In diagnosing children with sensory problems it is important to remember that early onset of significant hearing impairment can have a profound effect on the child’s development, with adverse consequences for mental health, both in childhood and adult life. 90% of deaf children born to hearing parents risk developmental delays in language and vocabulary, resulting in consequences in emotional, psychological, and educational growth (du Feu, 2003). In the past, these consequences manifested themselves in lower expectations for deaf children, and difficulties in teaching them led to the absence of correctly diagnosing mild learning disabilities, attention
Are deaf or hard of hearing people more susceptible to mental illnesses?
The ability to communicate is at the heart of good mental health. Within any large group of people, one may expect to find a smaller group with mental health issues. However, in addition to conquering the difficulties associated with the inability to effectively communicate, individuals in the deaf community must also attempt to find mental health facilities that can accommodate their special circumstances. With all the challenges that face these individuals, it would come to no surprise to learn whether they are more prone to mental health problems than hearing individuals. First, any diagnoses of any mental health issue in the United States comes from one book, the DSM IV- the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Version IV. This bible of the mental health field is separated into five sections, though the first two are most prevalent in the studies to follow. The first section is Axis I, listing and describing the Clinical disorders including major mental disorders and learning disorders, such as depression, schizophrenia, ADHD, and bipolar disorder. Axis II lists Personality disorders such as paranoid personality disorder and dependent personality disorder, and mental retardation. In diagnosing children with sensory problems it is important to remember that early onset of significant hearing impairment can have a profound effect on the child’s development, with adverse consequences for mental health, both in childhood and adult life. 90% of deaf children born to hearing parents risk developmental delays in language and vocabulary, resulting in consequences in emotional, psychological, and educational growth (du Feu, 2003). In the past, these consequences manifested themselves in lower expectations for deaf children, and difficulties in teaching them led to the absence of correctly diagnosing mild learning disabilities, attention
Bibliography: Advances in Psychiatric Treatment, Margaret du Feu, 2003, volume 9, pp95-103 Deaf People: Mental Illness; Mental Illness in the Deaf Community: Increasing Awareness and Identifying Needs, Sandra Mueller, 2006, www.lifeprint.com Serving and Assessing Deaf Patients; Implications for Psychiatry, B. Haskins, Psychiatric Times, December 2000, volume XVII, Issue 12 Demographics, Psychiatric Diagnoses, and Other Characteristics of North American Deaf and Hard of Hearing Inpatients, Patricia Black, Riverview Psychiatric Center, jdsde.oxfordjournals.org Interview with Robert Pollard, Ph. D., Professor of Psychiatry at University of Rochester and director of Deaf Wellness Center, 2010, www.healthbridges.info Mental Health Issues in the Deaf Community, Kimberly Reed, About.com guide 2006 bipolar.about.com/od/socialissues/a/000425_deaf.htm