What Do These Numbers Mean?: Here’s an interesting data table from a research study on Deaf mental health consumers done back in 1998. One author is Deaf, the other two are hearing – it’s great they have one Deaf author/researcher on board! Even though the table is shown below out of context of the original article and without demographic data on the participants, the numbers are revealing.

ASL/English: The first part of the table lists psychology-related English words and the percentages of Deaf people who recognize them. Without going in-depth about this, the main points are that any clinicians working with Deaf people need to know that more Deaf people will recognize these words in ASL. If an assessment involves any written tests or even interpreters, it’s important that the right words are used, otherwise the tests results won’t be valid.

Deaf Friends: Further down the table, 61% of the Deaf respondents identified their Deaf friends as the people from whom they get the most information about psychology-related terms. This makes sense, if you consider that most Deaf people have hearing parents and siblings, and very few of these families provide equal communication access. Today, we might see more Deaf people getting their information from vlogs and blogs, the same way many people relied on their friends at Deaf clubs for information.

Causes of Mental Health Problems: A powerful message here: 39-54% of respondents indicated family problems, upbringing, and poor communication as primary causes of mental health problems. If 90% of Deaf people have hearing parents, we can assume that for the majority of families, communication is not in ASL, something that may be related to later mental health issues. Only 8% cited being Deaf as a cause of mental health problems. This is a clear message that the majority of Deaf people have a positive view of being Deaf when it comes to mental health.

Deaf or Hearing Therapists/Counselors: Not surprisingly, 72% of respondents preferred Deaf therapists over hearing therapists. Even though it isn’t indicated if the respondents were given a choice between Deaf therapists and ASL-fluent hearing therapists, the numbers speak loudly. Our own experience as psychotherapists has been that Deaf clients report feeling relieved to be able to work with psychotherapists who are Deaf and who “get” the Deaf experience. Given this, why aren’t Deaf-oriented gradaute programs in mental health and psychology recruiting and admitting more Deaf students? And why aren’t more community mental health agencies seeking Deaf professionals?

Take a look at the table and let us know what you think of the numbers. What do they mean, particularly in 2008? What, if any, changes would you predict today in Deaf people’s knowledge and views related to mental health?

REFERENCE:

Steinberg, A.G., Sullivan, V.J., & Loew, R.C. (1998). Cultural and Linguistic Barriers to Mental Health Service Access: The Deaf Consumer’s Perspective. American Journal of Psychiatry, 155(7),982-984

Trial-and-Error: Finding the best medication to treat someone with depression has often required a trial-and-error approach. Ten people can respond in completely different ways to the same medication; just because Paxil worked miracles for your best friend doesn’t mean it will do the same for you. Some people test four or five different medications before they know which one really helps with their depressive symptoms. This can also be an expensive process, because any unused medication has to be thrown away – the cost cannot be refunded. When you are suffering from clinical depression and possibly experiencing suicidal thoughts, spending months testing different medications is not something you want to do, especially if the side effects just worsen your depression.

Stick Out Your Tongue: Now Science Daily has published research findings that just might change the picture for people in need of anti-depressant medication. A simple taste test might be able to tell if someone is depressed and which medication would be the most helpful. Studies show that the neurotransmitters, serotonin and noradrenaline (both of which are related to depression), and people’s moods can affect their ability to recognize different tastes. Changes in the levels of these chemicals impact how well people can identify the tastes of bitter, sweet, and sour. If a simple taste test can pinpoint which chemical levels may need adjusting, doctors would be able to pick the best anti-depressant medication right away, instead of having to guess and cross their fingers.

Looking for a Job?: San Diego Youth and Community Services (SDYCS) will be opening a Deaf group home in January 2007. We heard from a colleague that the agency is very receptive to the idea of finding a Director who is ASL fluent and who knowledgeable and competent in Deaf culture.

For more information, check SDYCS’ webpage and click on “Employment Opportunities” in blue at the top of the page for more information and a listing of qualifications for the position. We always need more Deaf leaders. This is a great opportunity for a Deaf person who is interested in working with Deaf people in the mental health field!

Healing Hounds: Service dogs have been around for years, with most of them accompanying blind, mobility impaired, and even some Deaf people. A growing number of people, however, are now relying on service dogs for assistance in other ways, including support as they deal with mental health issues. Psychiatric service dogs (PSDs) have been helping people with depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia, among other mental conditions. A PSD working with someone who experiences anxiety, for instance, is trained to jump up on the person’s lap to provide comfort. A PSD can remind someone with short-term memory loss when it is time to take medication. A PSD can even provide a reality check for a person with schizophrenia who is not sure if a hallucination is occurring or if there is actually somone in the room. The Psychiatric Service Dog Society states that working with a PSD is a way for people to take charge of their mental health.

Some people disagree that PSDs are the best way for people to cope with mental health issues, believing that it encourages an unhealthy dependence. What do you think?

Sold: In the news this week, the Florida-based National Deaf Academy (NDA) has been purchased by Psychiatric Solutions, Inc. (PSI). A residential treatment program for Deaf children, adolescents, and adults in need of intensive psychiatric care, NDA is one of the few inpatient programs in the United States that specifically serves the Deaf community. With the purchase of NDA, PSI now runs 61 psychiatric inpatient programs in 27 states.

Good news? Bad news? Does anyone know?