title: Inpatient psychiatric treatment of deaf adults: demographic and diagnostic comparisons with hearing inpatients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study examined the diagnostic and clinical features of deaf psychiatric inpatients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Archival clinical data for deaf and hard-of-hearing adults (N=30) were compared with data for a random sample of hearing adults (N=60) admitted to a state psychiatric hospital from 1998 to 2008.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant differences were found between deaf and hearing inpatient groups in the frequency of impulse control disorders (23% versus 2%), pervasive developmental disorders (10% versus 0%), substance use disorders (20% versus 45%), mild mental retardation (33% versus 3%), and personality disorders (17% versus 43%). The deaf group had a larger proportion with diagnoses of psychotic disorder not otherwise specified (17% versus 2%). Deaf inpatients had longer hospitalizations than hearing inpatients (17 months versus ten months).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Clinicians working with the underserved, understudied population of deaf and hard-of-hearing psychiatric inpatients should be aware of the cultural and linguistic differences in assessment and treatment and make efforts to modify their approach.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, 1111 W. 10th St., Psychiatry Building, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA. slandsbe@iupui.edu
authors.forename: Sarah A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Landsberger
authors.forename: David R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Diaz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015897:Comorbidity; D054521:Cultural Competency; D003638:Deafness / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010343:Patient Admission; D011567:Psychiatric Department, Hospital; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012813:Sign Language; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055815:Young Adult