title: The mental health of deaf adolescents with cochlear implants compared to their hearing peers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To measure the mental health status of deaf adolescents with cochlear implants (CI). STUDY SAMPLE AND DESIGN: We used the "Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire" (SDQ) to assess the mental health problems of 32 adolescents with CI (mean age 15.0 years) and 212 normal hearing peers (mean age 15.0 years).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Parent and teacher ratings for the CI subjects (ES emotional symptoms, HA inattention-hyperactivity, CP conduct-problems and PBS pro-social behavior) did not differ significantly from the results of normal hearing peers. However, teachers rated significantly more cases as having peer problems (PP) and more cases as having very high (clinical) total difficulty scores (TDS) in the CI group. The SDQ results of the CI users correlated significantly with poor results in auditory performance and special school education. The age at CI implantation was not found to be a correlated with emotional, behavioral and social problems.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings indicate that the mental health of deaf adolescents with CI is comparable to that of normal hearing peers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Clinic, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria. M.Huber@salk.at
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Huber
authors.forename: Ulrike
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Kipman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000209:etiology; D001317:Austria; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D019929:Cochlear Implantation / Q000295:instrumentation*; D003054:Cochlear Implants; D032882:Comprehension; D019955:Conduct Disorder / Q000209:etiology; D012048:Correction of Hearing Impairment / Q000523:psychology*; D003638:Deafness / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D004519:Education, Special; D004522:Educational Status; D004644:Emotions; D004651:Employment; D005195:Family Relations; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D010379:Peer Group; D019986:Persons with Hearing Disabilities / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D011932:Reading; D012813:Sign Language; D012919:Social Behavior; D013067:Speech Perception; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires