Two-fifths of people who are deaf or have hearing loss have been affected by mental health issues – compared with a quarter of the hearing population, according to new statistics.
The effects of not being able to communicate easily can often have a big impact.
Josefa Mackinnon, the daughter of Deaf parents, said: “Sadly a few years ago my dad died by suicide. He left a note, and everything in there was to do with not being able to communicate properly and not being able to understand or empathise.
“All of that language deprivation that he would have experienced, I think, essentially resulted in him deciding to take his life.”
Communication barriers deprive many deaf people of enjoying social interactions and therefore is the main reason they have poorer health outcomes compared to hearing people.
“That was even up to the things that happened the day he passed. He was due to have an operation, and an interpreter didn’t turn up, so he got upset.
“So the inability to communicate has a profound effect on Deaf people,” said Ms Mackinnon.
According to GOV.UK, 50% of deaf people will have poor mental health, compared to 25% of the general population. This is shown in the chart below.
Sign Health, a Deaf-led team devoted to the health and wellbeing for deaf people, in a study on mental health and deafness, found that “there are unfair and avoidable differences between the mental health services available to deaf and hearing people. Deaf people do not receive equitable healthcare.”
The study also found that mental health-related self-help resources are not readily available in British Sign Language.
“Deafness for many people is associated with social exclusion and reduced educational and employment opportunities”, said a spokesperson for Sign Health.
These factors are massive contributors to why deaf people are more likely to struggle with mental health.
Sign Health recommends that Primary Care and Hospital Trusts include deaf awareness guidance in their training and development curricula for all front-line staff.
Anyone struggling with any of these issues should go to https://signhealth.org.uk/ for more information.
