Satisfaction with life in a sample of prelingually deaf cochlear implant users with a good command of spoken Polish as the primary language.

INTRODUCTION: This study investigated the level of satisfaction with life (SWL) in a group of cochlear implant (CI) users who had been prelingually deaf but were orally educated. They had received one or two CIs (as a child, adolescent, or adult) and were highly competent Polish speakers. This study looked at three factors that may affect SWL - psychosocial, deafness/hearing and communication related, and sociodemographic. METHODS: The participants were prelingually deaf CI users who had learned highly competent spoken Polish as their primary language. They had been educated in mainstream or integrated schools (not schools for the deaf), and had no other disability or severe illness. Measurements were done with 5 questionnaires: the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS), the I-Others Questionnaire, the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), the Deaf Identity Development Scale (DIDS), and the Nijmegen Cochlear Implant Questionnaire (NCIQ). RESULTS: The SWL level of the group was similar to that of the standard Polish population. SWL was positively related to positive self-perception, acceptance of oneself as a deaf person, and to perceiving the benefits of having a CI (as measured by three NCIQ domains: self-esteem, activity limitations, and social interactions). On the other hand, negative self-perception, marginal deaf identity, and depressive symptoms were negatively related to SWL. There was no relationship between SWL and knowledge of sign language. Lower depressive symptoms and greater hearing loss were both significant predictors of SWL, although those who used two CIs generally had a lower SWL. CONCLUSIONS: Prelingually deaf CI users with low SWL require psychological support in many spheres, including working through problems of deaf identity, self-acceptance, and depression. Additional research should involve diverse DHH CI users, including those with limited spoken Polish competency or sign language skills, as well as members of the Polish Deaf community.

Ego-resiliency and Tinnitus Annoyance.

BACKGROUND: Tinnitus is a common and, in many cases, chronic condition. Coping with a chronic ailment is a long-term process, which also depends on the personality of the individual. One important personality resource is ego-resiliency, that is, how flexible the person is in adapting to the impulse to control their environment. PURPOSE: The aim of the study was to determine whether ego-resiliency affects the perceived level of tinnitus annoyance. RESEARCH DESIGN: This was a questionnaire study combined with a retrospective analysis of medical data. STUDY SAMPLE: The study involved 176 people with diagnosed chronic tinnitus who volunteered to participate (53 men and 123 women aged 31-80 years). DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: The following tools were used: Ego-Resiliency Scale to measure ego-resiliency, Tinnitus Functional Index to assess the impact of tinnitus on daily life, and a survey of sociodemographics and tinnitus history. RESULTS: The conducted research showed that men had higher ego-resiliency than women. Older subjects (older than 60 years) had higher ego-resiliency than younger ones. There was a negative correlation between ego-resiliency and the perceived annoyance of tinnitus. Regression analysis showed that a person's ability to cope and to tolerate negative emotions were the only factors of ego-resiliency that were a significant predictor of tinnitus annoyance. CONCLUSION: People with a high level of personal ability to cope and to tolerate negative emotions are likely to experience decreased tinnitus annoyance. Ego-resiliency levels should be considered when diagnosing and planning interventions for people with tinnitus. In psychological intervention programs for people with tinnitus, it is worthwhile developing ego-resiliency, paying particular attention to positive emotions which are crucial in building it. Research should be continued on other personal resources affecting perceived tinnitus annoyance.

Self-perceived stress and the personality of mothers of children with central auditory processing disorders - Differences from mothers of typically developing children.

PURPOSE: To investigate the relationship between self-perceived global stress and the personality traits of mothers of children with central auditory processing disorders (APD), and make a comparison with mothers of typically developing (TD) children. DESIGN AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study using two questionnaires - the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) and the Short Big Five Markers (IPIP-BFM-20) - to assess five personality dimensions: extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability, and intellect/imagination. The study material included 187 mothers, of whom 108 were mothers of children with APD. The average age of the children with APD was 10 years. RESULTS: The average level of global stress was similar in mothers of children with APD and mothers of TD children. Mothers of APD children had significantly lower scores for personality dimensions such as: emotional stability, conscientiousness, and intellect/imagination. Increased perceived stress level in mothers of children with APD was inversely correlated with extraversion, conscientiousness, and emotional stability. However, for both groups of mothers, the only significant predictor of global stress level was emotional stability. CONCLUSION: Mothers of children with APD, despite having similar global stress levels to other mothers, were different in terms of three personality dimensions, and these, especially lowered emotional stability, may play a negative role in coping with global self-perceived stress. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: The results of this study might be helpful in parental support interventions, including psychological therapy and counselling, and also in parental implementation interventions aimed at mothers of children with APD, especially those mothers who have high global stress and/or low emotional stability.

Developmental outcomes of young deaf children and the self-perceived parental role of their hearing mothers.

BACKGROUND: There is little research into the relationship between a deaf child's developmental outcomes and their mother's self-perceived parental role. The aim of this study was to find out whether the different levels of global psychomotor development in young deaf children who had a cochlear implant (CI), or were candidates for a CI, were related to particular family factors: the self-perceived parental role and the family quality of life (FQoL) as gauged by their hearing mothers, as well as the child's sociodemographic and deafness-related factors and the sociodemographic characteristics of the mothers. METHODS: The study was conducted on a group of 64 children with bilateral severe or profound sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) who were CI users (36 children) or qualified for cochlear implantation (28 children) and their hearing mothers. The age of the children ranged from 6.5 to 47 months (M = 23.6; SD = 10.1), among whom 55% were girls (n = 35). The mothers of the children were aged 24-48 years (M = 32.7; SD = 5.3). Information was collected via the Children Development Scale (CDS), the Self-Perception of Parental Role (S-PPR), the Family Quality of Life Survey (FQOLS-2006), and an additional information questionnaire which included questions about sociodemographic variables of the child and the mother, as well as questions related to deafness, the CI, and the child's rehabilitation. RESULTS: Based on results of the CDS, the deaf children were divided into two groups: those who had a low level of global psychomotor development (Low global psychomotor development subgroup - LGPD) and others with medium or high scores (Medium/high global psychomotor development subgroup - MHGPD). The mothers of deaf children in the LGPD group assessed their investment in motherhood lower than did mothers from the MHGPD group. The mothers of the LGPD group rated their satisfaction with the child's rehabilitation lower than did mothers from the MHGPD group. The two subgroups did not differ in FQOLS-2006 domains except for community interactions, which were significantly higher in the MHGPD families. CONCLUSIONS: Among the determinants of the global psychomotor development of a young deaf child, the most important ones relate to the use of a CI, but maternal investment in parenting is also important. Community interactions of the family with a deaf child are also crucial, as they create a framework for social network and support for the deaf child's optimal development. Any psychological diagnosis should include, apart from psychomotor development of the deaf child, an assessment of how the mother is coping with their parenting. Mothers of deaf children, especially those with LPGD, need additional support in parenting.

Role of personal resources from the perspective of experiencing tinnitus annoyance in adults.

PURPOSE: Occurrence of tinnitus can be, for a person who experiences it, a disorder affecting the overall equilibrium of the organism. To cope with it a variety of personal resources, such as positive orientation and basic hope, are mobilized. The aim of this study was to determine whether these resources are associated with the evaluation of the impact of tinnitus on the functioning of the study participants. METHODS: Study involved 176 tinnitus sufferers, including 123 women and 53 men. The results were compiled using: Positivity Scale (P-scale) for measuring positive orientation, Basic Hope Inventory (BHI-R) for measuring basic hope, the questionnaires: Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) and Tinnitus Functional Index (TFI) evaluating the impact of tinnitus on the daily functioning of the subjects, as well as a survey designed for the study, comprising questions about sociodemographic data and tinnitus history. RESULTS: Results of regression analysis indicated that positive orientation is the most important for the perceived tinnitus annoyance. However, no significant influence of basic hope on tinnitus annoyance was found. Among other variables taken into account in regression analysis, age and presence of additional diseases proved to be important predictors of tinnitus annoyance. CONCLUSIONS: Personality determinants (positive orientation) are related to the perception of tinnitus annoyance. When working with a tinnitus patient, it is justified to pay attention to the existence of the positive orientation and to work on its development. Research should also be continued to search for other personal resources that affect the perceived tinnitus annoyance.