Opoku MP, Mprah WK, Duorinaah J, Gyimah EM, Nketsia W, Adwan-Kamara L. Mental health services for the deaf: an exploratory study of the aetiology, sources of information, and access to mental health services among deaf persons in Ghana. BMC Health Serv Res. 2024 Nov 11;24(1):1379. doi: 10.1186/s12913-024-11849-5. PMID: 39529082; PMCID: PMC11552104.

Mental health services for the deaf: an exploratory study of the aetiology, sources of information, and access to mental health services among deaf persons in Ghana

Anderson ML, Wolf Craig KS, Ziedonis DM. Barriers and Facilitators to Deaf Trauma Survivors' Help-Seeking Behavior: Lessons for Behavioral Clinical Trials Research. J Deaf Stud Deaf Educ. 2017 Jan;22(1):118-130. doi: 10.1093/deafed/enw066. Epub 2016 Nov 23. PMID: 27881479; PMCID: PMC6083920.

Barriers and Facilitators to Deaf Trauma Survivors’ Help-Seeking Behavior: Lessons for Behavioral Clinical Trials Research

State University of New York at Buffalo

Studies of Anxiety/Depression and People That Are Deaf

In the article "Prevalence of Anxiety or Depression Diagnosis in Deaf Adults," This study looked at how often deaf adults who use American Sign Language (ASL) are diagnosed with depression or anxiety, compared to adults that can hear. The researchers found that 25% of deaf adults reported having depression or anxiety, which is more than hearing adults (22%). Deaf adults were also diagnosed at a younger age, around 45 years old, while hearing adults were diagnosed around age 56.

Younger, White, female, educated, or single deaf adults were more likely to report these mental health diagnoses. The study stresses that good communication between deaf people and doctors is very important for getting the right diagnosis and care.

Anxiety/Depression in Deaf Adults (A Study)

Deaf people are twice as like likely to have mental health problems when compared to the general population. Conditions such as depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, and social behaviors are especially apparent in the deaf population. 

This can be partially attributed to the services available to the deaf population and the fact that most interventions cater to the general population and not deaf individuals.

Mental health evaluations designed for hearing people have been proved unreliable when used for deaf people.

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