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Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology
Published in: Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology 9/2005

01-09-2005 | Original Paper

Mental distress and quality of life in a deaf population

Authors: Johannes Fellinger, MD, Daniel Holzinger, PhD, Ulrike Dobner, Mpsych, Joachim Gerich, PhD, MSoc, Roland Lehner, MD, Gerhard Lenz, MD, David Goldberg, DM, FRCP

Published in: Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology | Issue 9/2005

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Abstract

Background

High risks of mental illness within the deaf community are reported. The assessment of the level of mental distress and quality of life in the deaf community is difficult due to communication problems in spoken and written language. The deaf community is characterized by the use of sign language.

Methods

A new measure of acceptable reliability using sign language is described. The interactive computerised package including special versions of the World Health Organisation's Brief Quality of Life questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF), the 12-Item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) and five subscales of the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) was administered to a large community sample of deaf people (n=236), and results were compared with normative data for German-speaking hearing people.

Results

The deaf sample has a significantly poorer quality of life than the general population for the physical and psychological domains (p<0.01) as measured by the WHOQOL-BREF. However, in the domain of social relationships, no significant difference (p=0.19) was demonstrated. All findings with the GHQ-12 and the BSI show much higher levels (p=0.01) of emotional distress among the deaf.

Conclusion

Although a poorer quality of life and a higher level of mental distress are demonstrated, the similarity to the general population in the domain social relationships shows that this does not affect all domains. These findings show the need for easily accessible health services for the deaf which offer sensitive communication with them.
Footnotes
1
In recent years, the new technology of cochlear implants and the politics of mainstreaming in education has significantly changed the deaf individual's development regarding their access to spoken language and socialisation.
 
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Metadata
Title
Mental distress and quality of life in a deaf population
Authors
Johannes Fellinger, MD
Daniel Holzinger, PhD
Ulrike Dobner, Mpsych
Joachim Gerich, PhD, MSoc
Roland Lehner, MD
Gerhard Lenz, MD
David Goldberg, DM, FRCP
Publication date
01-09-2005
Publisher
Steinkopff-Verlag
Published in
Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology / Issue 9/2005
Print ISSN: 0933-7954
Electronic ISSN: 1433-9285
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-005-0936-8

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