title: The Significance of Deaf Identity for Psychological Well-Being.
abstract: Research has paid attention to how deaf identity affects life outcomes such as psychological well-being. However, studies are often carried out with small samples and without controlling for other variables. This study examined how different forms of identity-deaf, hearing, bicultural (deaf and hearing), and marginal (neither deaf nor hearing)-were associated with levels of psychological well-being and a number of other variables. The sample was 742 adults with hearing loss in Denmark. The study found that those with a deaf, hearing or bicultural identity had significantly higher levels of psychological well-being than those with a marginal identity. Further, it found that additional disability, educational level, and feeling discriminated against significantly and independently explained the degree of psychological well-being. Results are discussed here with respect to social identity theory and current deaf identity themes.
authors.affiliation: Aarhus University.
authors.forename: Madeleine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chapman
authors.affiliation: University of Copenhagen jesper.dammeyer@psy.ku.dk.
authors.forename: Jesper
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dammeyer