This week, with the publication of the latest NHS 5 year Mental Health plan and the BBC series on mental wellbeing, there has been a great deal of media interest in Mental Health, however, as usual the issue of Mental Health and Deafness is being sidelined.
Whereas in the general population, one in four (25%) people are likely to have some sort of mental health condition in a lifetime, in the deaf population it is more like one in 2.5 (40%) this is a shocking statistic which cannot be ignored.
There are several reasons for this disparity, amongst many other reasons, there is the lack of access to information, the lack of and appropriate access to mental health services and the lack of health education.
There is still a great deal of stigma attached to mental health conditions in the deaf community (just as it can be in the general population), however, The British Society for Mental Health and Deafness say that evidence shows it is important to take action quickly to protect your mental wellbeing by speaking out about it and getting the necessary help and support.
In the Deaf Community, there is often a lot of misunderstanding and ignorance about mental health conditions, yet developing mental health issues can be resolved through better understanding and support thus preventing their mental health getting worse.
An example is when someone may be upset about the loss of a pet, a hearing person can pick up the phone and getting some comfort through having a long heart to heart conversation with a friend, whereas deaf people often do not have that opportunity. A small incident can easily and rapidly escalate to full blown mental health issues requiring hospital admission.
There are some solutions such as peer to peer counselling which is very important for deaf people with mental health issues, as SignHealth rightly state – if a hearing person feels uncomfortable in the presence of a third person in the counselling consultation, why should it be acceptable for a deaf person to have an interpreter when qualified and accredited deaf counsellors are available (but largely under employed)? Statistics also show that with peer to peer support recovery is quicker and more cost effective.
Deaf people need to speak out by sharing experiences not only about our own individual issues but also collectively.
Find out more about the British Society for Mental Health and Deafness by clicking here.
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Cathy
February 18, 2016
It is sad for mental health and Deafness to be sidelined, but hardly surprising when Deaf people and hearing people fail to meet in the mainstream. We live our lives effectively outside the mainstream so mental health is obscured.
Asking Deaf people to speak out about their mental health made me smile. They do indeed speak out but it is usually through social media like Facebook. When a status is put up you often spot mental health issues in various forms.
Social media is a good outlet for outing mental health, but of course, there is never a follow up to mental health professionals. The person maybe reprimanded by others: “come on don’t be stupid” etc and they may rally and feel ok, until the next episode! This obvious “merry go round” is not good but the gap between a cry for help on social media and reaching a mental health professional needs to be addressed.
I do not imagine Deaf Counsellors are in any great numbers and one downside is to ensure that the professional does not know the client. This is a negative that the hearing population do not have! As a minority group many Deaf people know each other from far and wide through deaf clubs, package holidays, school etc. So they need a Counsellor that they definitely don’t know. This could be a reason for under employment of Deaf counsellors and this is also why I changed my mind about becoming a Counsellor. I know people in Scotland, London and Wales etc. Where on earth would I find clients without travelling hundreds of miles?!? Or them travelling to me?
I do not know of hearies having a third person in their counselling sessions, so they don’t hit this problem either. Unless it is a special session of some kind. It is obviously a very different ball game for the Deaf community where mental health is concerned and inherent problems, like the above, need to be tackled before we get any further.
Tim
February 18, 2016
“An example is when someone may be upset about the loss of a pet, a hearing person can pick up the phone and getting some comfort through having a long heart to heart conversation with a friend, whereas deaf people often do not have that opportunity. A small incident can easily and rapidly escalate to full blown mental health issues requiring hospital admission.”
Absolutely. Another example is when somebody has just finished school or university and would like a good, fulfilling job.
If you are a hearing person, you only have to worry about finding your first job and then, your career progression (I say ‘only,’ but I know it’s actually very difficult.)
If you’re Deaf, job-seeking is an entirely different animal. You have to find clever ways to ‘network’ without using the telephone, you have to deal with people who constantly say ‘no’ – usually employers, you have to worry about the communication barriers at interview, etc. If you’re lucky enough to get a job, the stress and hassles continue. Is the ‘can’t do’ attitude of employers towards you stopping your career from progressing (a problem also known as the ‘glass ceiling’?) Are your communication issues being resolved fully and satisfactorily? It’s a lot of things to think about that hearing people do not.have to think about.
In fact, we are seeing reports of Deaf people who have left work because of the sheer stress and hassle caused by problems with Access to Work, thanks to the dreadful Conservative government.
However, if you’re Deaf and unemployed, you still have numerous difficulties to negotiate. We are seeing more and more Deaf people disqualified from ESA (Employment and Support Allowance and put on JSA (Job Seeker’s Allowance) instead, which has a harsh regime of conditionality and sanctions. We are seeing Job Centres display a chronic lack of Deaf awareness, we are seeing the telephone constantly being pushed onto Deaf people. Even if you still qualify for ESA, you’re not usually exempted from these problems, in fact, they can be worse. For example, repeated assessments are extremely stressful and the last thing disabled people need – damaging already fragile mental states.
We have seen horror stories in the press of disabled people killing themselves because of the horrendous jobs and social security situation. Cuts and sanctions. Social security is supposed to do what it says on the tin – make people socially secure. If people don’t know if they can feed themselves, pay their bills and have shelter etc, it is damaging to their mental health. And very often, unemployed people are blamed and mocked for their own unemployment – seriously compounding the problem.
Charities do a disservice to Deaf people by carrying on as if these ‘Welfare Reforms’ are not doing the enormous damage that they are doing. I know that they have been placed in an awkward position by the government, but ignoring this problem will not make it go away.
Rosie Malezer
February 18, 2016
Unfortunately, the deficit in proper mental health care for Deafies is a worldwide problem. I wrote a blog recently, detailing a horrific encounter I had with a so called expert in mental health, and I have to say, she was one of the most audistic and surdophobic people I have ever encountered in my life.
https://rosiemalezer.wordpress.com/2016/02/03/deaf-mental-health-wtf/
Hopefully some time soon, the hearing world will wake up and see that not only are the Deaf population their equals, but also have specific mental health needs which affect us differently to the hearing population.
Luckily, I now have a psychiatrist who asks that I keep a diary of every single day and that I email her… with her emailing me in return. My problem? Agoraphobia with Panic Disorder, OCD, Depression, PTSD… just to name a few. I am unable to leave my home, doctors refuse to make house calls without an interpreter, the city refuses to provide an interpreter because I am an “imported” citizen. My new book outlines quite a number of problems that we face in the world today. Some of it will shock some readers, while making others laugh and shrug it off. Deafies have always been on the back-burner when it comes to health issues and I don’t see it changing any time soon.
https://rosiemalezer.wordpress.com/2016/02/16/how-to-be-deaf-in-3-2-1/
PS: At least they have stopped forcibly sterilising us and putting us into mental institutions because they saw Deafness as a mental illness.