View the feature story on youth mental health and deafness.
Original symposium abstract by Karen Goldberg (University of South Florida, Tampa, USA) and Nora Olazabal (Pabellon Eskuza, Spain) on Transition issues in the psychiatric care of deaf and hard of hearing adolescents (ESCAP 2017 Congress in Geneva, Scheduled 10 July 11:00 AM).
Objectives
Deaf adolescents suffer with many of the same psychiatric illnesses as their hearing counterparts. However, throughout the United States and Europe, access to mental health care is often limited by problems with language and cultural barriers. The objective of this symposium is to educate physicians about evidence based treatment interventions to meet the unique health care needs of their psychiatrically ill deaf patients in a manner that helps them transition successfully to young adulthood.
Methods
This presentation aims to present a discussion of the unique challenges in meeting the mental health needs of deaf youth. The symposium consists of five psychiatric specialists from three countries (US, Spain and the Netherlands) with expertise in treating Deaf adolescents and adults. The speakers will take the participants step by step through the psychiatric assessment and treatment of deaf youth with the aim of helping them to transition successfully into healthy young adults.
Results
At the conclusion of the presentation, participants will have a better understanding of the barriers to access to care and the challenges facing deaf patients. Participants will understand the importance of language and cultural considerations in treating deaf individuals. Participants will learn how to successfully help their deaf adolescent patients transition to adults.
Conclusions
Psychiatrists from the United States and Europe attending this presentation will be in a better position to provide optimal psychiatric services to deaf and hard of hearing youth as they transition from adolescence to young adulthood.
Original symposium abstract by Jana Dreyzehner (Tennessee School for the Deaf, USA) on Psychiatric Assessment of the Deaf Child and Teen (ESCAP 2017 Congress in Geneva, Scheduled 10 July 11:00 AM).
Objectives
The purpose of this segment of this symposium is to educate the attendee on conducting a comprehensive psychiatric and developmental assessment of the deaf child. In assessing deaf children and adolescents, it is important to differentiate features of language deprivation due to deafness from that due to autism spectrum disorders. Language acquisition or lack of language impacts mental health and emotional functioning throughout childhood and has significant impacts on the development of the young person throughout life.
Methods
This presentation aims to outline evidenced based strategies to appropriately assess and treat developmental and psychiatric issues in young deaf patients. There will be discussion of early intervention services, hearing assessment and language acquisition skills as component of meeting the mental health needs of deaf youth. Current technological interventions will be discussed including cochlear implants and their role in oral language acquisition as well as ethical issues around their use.
Results
Participants will better understand the process of comprehensive psychiatric and developmental assessment of deaf youth. There will be better understanding of differentiating developmental challenges due to deafness as well as co-morbid autism spectrum.
Conclusions
Assessing deaf children and adolescents require skills in understanding how deafness and language impacts development and mental health. Participants will be able to understand how best to conduct a comprehensive psychiatric and developmental assessment of deaf youth, as well as understand appropriate services and interventions to maximize outcomes to help deaf youth transition to young adulthood.
Original symposium abstract by Veronica Pousa (Basurto Hospital, Spain) on Interventions to promote healthy deaf identity (ESCAP 2017 Congress in Geneva, Scheduled 10 July 11:00 AM).
Objectives
The DSM 5 proposes a new dimensional model to assess personality disorders in four different domains: identity, self-direction, empathy, and intimacy. This model has clinical implications in helping psychiatrists understand the difficulties deaf individuals experience when developing their identity and sense of self in a hearing world.
Methods
The Deaf Identity Development Scale (Glickman, 1993) outlines the different stages of deaf identity development. It also identifies important situations that can influence the process of reaching an integrated competence for self-definition. The scale establishes four stages of deaf identity development: 1) Culturally hearing, 2) Marginal, 3) Immersion in deaf culture, and 4) Bicultural.
Results
Deaf Identity is an integral component to making a healthy transition to adulthood. Case presentations are used to better understand the technique of the Deaf Identity Development Scale and how it fits the DSM 5 Model of personality. Bicultural deaf adults are thought to be able to integrate both deaf and hearing cultures' values, thusly enriching their way of life.
Conclusion
Healthy sense of self-concept and identity is critical for successful transition to adulthood. Psychiatrists from the United States and Europe will learn how to assess deaf identity and personality development.
Original symposium abstract by Karen Goldberg (University of South Florida, Tampa, USA) on working with deaf youth, an introduction (ESCAP 2017 Congress in Geneva, Scheduled 10 July 11:00 AM).
Objectives
The purpose of the first segment of this symposium is to educate the attendee on the unique challenges facing deaf youth and their families in seeking psychiatric evaluation and treatment. Often access to mental health care is limited by problems with language and cultural barriers. The objective of this presentation is to lay the foundation for understanding how best to work with deaf patients.
Methods
This presentation aims to present a discussion of barriers to access to care and challenges in mental health service delivery for deaf patients throughout the United States and Europe. There will be discussion about the importance of language and cultural considerations in treating deaf individuals. There will be discussion of the role of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which ensures equal access to care for deaf patients as well as the National CLAS Standards further ensuring culturally and linguistically appropriate services.
Results
Participants will better understand the challenges facing deaf patients and their families in accessing mental health services. Participants will have increased awareness of the mental health needs of young patients with deafness and hearing loss. Participants will learn how to successfully help their deaf adolescent patients transition to adults. Participants will learn about evidenced based treatment models, nationally and internationally, developed to meet the needs of these patients in a culturally and linguistically sensitive manner.
Conclusions
Psychiatrists from the United States and Europe attending this presentation will be in a better position to provide optimal psychiatric services to deaf and hard of hearing youth as they transition from adolescence to young adulthood.
Original symposium abstract by Nora Olazabal (Basurto Hospital, Spain) on Deaf Adolescents and Identity Development (ESCAP 2017 Congress in Geneva, Scheduled 10 July 11:00 AM).
Objectives
Identity development is a central task that all teenagers must carry out during adolescence in order to make a successful and healthy transition to adulthood. The development of a stable sense of self is as critical for deaf adolescents as it is for hearing youth. Having the capacity to build complex representations of themselves and others are important skills that are present in healthy adults.
Methods
The study of the deaf identity should include psychological and social components; such as how society shapes the way deaf individuals view themselves, how their families view deafness (as disability versus culture) and the degree of integration in their peer groups. Deaf culture can help deaf adolescents achieve a sense of identity, as individuals and members of group.
Results
Deaf Culture is linked with two main concepts: the belief that being deaf is not a disability but a cultural struggle, and the use of sign language as its main cultural development tool. Deaf culture is a common concept throughout the United States and Europe. Learning about Deaf culture will enable psychiatrists to provide psychiatric care in culturally and linguistically affirmative manner.
Conclusion
Psychiatrists from the United States and Europe will learn how deaf identity and culture impact the successful transition of deaf youth into healthy adults.
Original symposium abstract by Ines Sleeboom-van Raaij (European Society for Mental Health and Deafness) on Interventions to promote healthy deaf identity (ESCAP 2017 Congress in Geneva, Scheduled 10 July 11:00 AM).
Objectives
Deaf adults face ongoing challenges in access to appropriate mental health services. Throughout the United States and Europe, there are growing trends in advocacy and outreach in order to help optimize mental health in deaf adults. The objective of this presentation is to educate physicians about services available in Europe including the European Society for Mental Health and Deafness.
Methods
This presentation aims to present a discussion of the influence of growing up as a deaf child in a predominantly hearing world and how that impacts deaf adults. Discussion will be on how to best maximize mental health services to deaf adults to enhance independence. European Society for Mental Health and Deafness is a coalition of mental health providers throughout Europe committed to optimal service delivery.
Results
Many factors impact optimal mental health of deaf adults, but integral among them is the adequate access to appropriate services to meet their needs. Specialized services are available to help psychiatrists treat their deaf patients. The diagnosis and treatment of mental health issues in this group of people requires special skills in communication and knowledge and appreciation of the importance of language, medical psychosocial and cultural issues throughout adulthood.
Conclusions
Psychiatrists from the United States and Europe attending this presentation will have a better understanding of the needs of deaf adults with mental illness as well as how to access additional services and technology for optimal care of their patients.
