["Your child is hard of hearing" - a longitudinal study of parental distress].
BACKGROUND
In models, hearing impairment in children is linked to parental distress. Empiric data about coping with this stress is small, however, as there are virtually only cross section studies which we can refer to.


METHODS
124 mothers and fathers of 61 children with a hearing impairment, who had their first hearing aid fitted respectively, had been presented to the pre-examination for a Cochlear Implantation (CI). Over a period of two years five respectively six measurements of their psycho-social distress were taken. In addition, the speech status of the children was evaluated.


RESULTS
Shortly after the diagnosis and before implantation parental quality of life is significantly reduced. Enduring parental distress could not be established. However, particularly when the CI-indication is unclear parents were found to be negatively affected in their well-being. Social support and positive self-awareness were found to moderate parental distress.


CONCLUSIONS
The significant reduction of parental quality of life at the onset of the treatment would indicates the need of special psychological support of the parents in this phase. The stabilisation of the parents' well-being over the course of the treatment signifies that a "normal every day life" can be attained for affected families despite the impairment.
Burger
T
T
Universitätsklinik für Hals- Nasen- und Ohrenheilkunde Freiburg, Freiburg. burger@hno1.ukl.uni-freiburg.de
Löhle
E
E
Richter
B
B
Bengel
J
J
Laszig
R
R
Spahn
C
C
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003054:Cochlear Implants / Q000523:psychology*; D003142:Communication; D017281:Cost of Illness; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006310:Hearing Aids / Q000523:psychology*; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007805:Language Development Disorders / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011594:Psychometrics; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012944:Social Support