ED466082 - Guidelines for Providing Mental Health Services to People Who Are Hard of Hearing - ERIC-ED466082 | Content Details

ED466082 - Guidelines for Providing Mental Health Services to People Who Are Hard of Hearing

Sponsoring Agency: National Inst. on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (ED/OSERS), Washington, DC

Subject: Adults, Deafness, Demography, Disability Identification, Emotional Disturbances, Hearing Impairments, Intervention, Mental Disorders, Mental Health Programs, Partial Hearing, Psychological Testing

Abstract: This document provides mental health professionals with information about the mental health needs and concerns of people who are hard of hearing and those who are late-deafened, i.e., deafened after language acquisition. Individual chapters address the following topics: (1) distinguishing differences among people with hearing loss (defining the problem and types of classification); (2) demographics of hearing loss (demographic findings by age, gender, ethnicity, economic status, education level, employment status, limitation of activity due to a chronic condition); (3) identifying people who are hard of hearing (hearing aid identification and signs and symptoms of hearing loss); (4) the impact of hearing loss (hearing loss as a communication disorder, factors contributing to mental health problems, information gaps, and developmental issues); ( 5 ) intervention strategies (basic intervention strategies, providing accurate information, and helping establish effective communication behavior); (6) other intervention strategies (e.g., relaxation training, cognitive therapy, grief resolution); ( 7 ) psychological testing (information about the.hearing loss, selection and interpretation of standardized tests, and testing environment modifications); and ( 8 ) other conditions related to hearing l o s s (vertigo/dizziness, neuromas, and tinnitus). Appendices list national and local resources and communication guidelines. (Contains 16 references.).