Psychiatric diagnoses and psychosocial needs of outpatient deaf children and adolescents.

Deaf youth may be more vulnerable to psychiatric disorders but very little research data is available. The current study identified prevalence rates of psychiatric disorders and examined the psychosocial needs and strengths of deaf youth aged 4-17 receiving specialized outpatient mental health services for the deaf. Compared to hearing peers, deaf youth had greater rates of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, conduct, autism-spectrum and bipolar disorders and spent three times longer in treatment than their hearing peers. In the deaf subsample, moderate-severe risk was found in social functioning (33.3 %) and suicidal behavior (14 %). Deaf youth had moderate to severe impairment in social relationships (54.8 %), school functioning (42.9 %). Over one-third of deaf youth had impaired family relationships, living situation, communication, judgment and physical health. Deaf youth present with higher rates of certain clinical disorders and have deficits in multiple life domains that may impact functioning and create a longer treatment course.

Psychiatric disorder prevalence among deaf and hard-of-hearing outpatients.

OBJECTIVES: To contribute to the dearth of literature on the prevalence rates of psychiatric disorders in deaf adults, this study examined the diagnostic and clinical characteristics of deaf psychiatric outpatients in comparison to hearing psychiatric outpatients. METHODS: Archival clinical data for deaf adults (N=241), treated at a specialized, linguistically and culturally affirmative outpatient community mental health program from 2002 to 2010, was compared to data from a random sample of hearing adult outpatients (N=345) who were treated at the same community mental health center. RESULTS: In various diagnostic categories, significant differences were seen between the deaf and hearing groups: bipolar disorders (3.7% versus 14.2%), impulse control disorders (15.8% versus 5.2%), anxiety disorders (18.7% versus 30.1%), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (11.2% versus 4.9%), pervasive developmental disorders (3.3% versus 0.3%), substance use disorders (27.8% versus 48.4%), and intellectual disabilities (10.4% versus 2.9%). CONCLUSIONS: The deaf outpatient group evidenced a different diagnostic profile than the hearing sample. It is suggested that the use of culturally competent and fluent ASL-signing clinicians provides more diagnostic clarity and is encouraged as a best practice for the care of deaf individuals.