What do we know about deaf clients after thirteen years of ambulatory mental health care? An analysis of the PsyDon database, 1987-1999.
Little is known about demographic, deafness-related, and diagnostic characteristics of deaf and partially hearing people with psychosocial or psychiatric problems. A study was conducted derived from data from intake assessment interviews of people with hearing loss treated at a Dutch ambulatory mental health center for the deaf between 1987 and 1999. Both sexes were equally represented. People who were postlingually deaf, hard of hearing, below age 22 years, or above age 65 years were less likely to ask for help than other groups in the study. Men presented more psychiatric disorders, and women more psychosocial problems, especially partially hearing women. The authors recommend stronger emphasis on mental health care for postlingually deaf people, severely hard of hearing people, adolescents, and retirement-age people. They also recommend development of skills for rational and emotional self-expression in the education and rearing of children with hearing loss.
de Bruin
Ed
E
Northwest Netherlands Mental Health Center for the Deaf and Partially Hearing, Mentrum Community Mental Health Institute, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
de Graaf
Ron
R
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003147:Communication Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D008605:Mental Health Services; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D019986:Persons with Hearing Disabilities / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires