Review of the Health of the Deaf

Review of the Health of the Deaf


The health of the Deaf  community is an under-researched topic. I compiled the studies I could find on the issue into a review. I hope that this site and my blog can help spotlight the health concerns and some solutions for this disadvantaged population.










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Literature Review on Healthcare Access for Deaf Seniors

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The “intersectionality of identities” is the idea that we all belong to multiple groups at once based on characteristics such as our age, race, gender and the presence of disabilities. Being a senior and being a member of the Deaf community have separately been shown to have an important impact on one's health, but what does the literature say about people who are both? Lesch et al. conducted a review of the literature and found that obstacles to healthcare were common for this group, including: Like younger Deaf, the elderly Deaf experience difficulty in making appointments, with the added burden of an increasing number and severity of healthcare issues Lack of providers who will accept Medicaid and Medicare insurance Lack of validated tests to assess the cognitive function of Deaf patients Lack of healthcare providers with competence in communicating with Deaf patients and understanding Deaf culture Lack of shared understanding around end of life decisions between healthca...
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Difficulties in Assessing Mental Status of Deaf Patients

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Previous studies have shown that cultural differences between Deaf patients and hearing healthcare practitioners can lead to the overdiagnosis of psychotic disorders. Gawad & Helminiak present a case report of a Deaf 34-year-old man who was referred to a hospital psychiatric unit from a jail. He had had 3 prior admissions and had been diagnosed with schizophrenia each time. His rapid recovery after therapy was initiated led the authors to conclude that he was not schizophrenic but had experienced either a manic episode or the effects of substance abuse. The authors describe how the presentation of Deaf people in distress, the differences between communication in ASL versus English, and the lack of standardized and validated ASL mental assessment tools can lead to the misdiagnoses of psychotic disorders in this population. They conclude by offering advice for healthcare practitioners on assessing the mental status of Deaf patients. Gawad, N.A. & Helminiak, A. (2018). Lo...
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Deaf Medical Student Successfully Completes Emergency Department Rotation

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