Hearing impairment, social networks, and coping: the need for families with hearing-impaired children to relate to other parents and to hearing-impaired adults

Am Ann Deaf. 2000 Mar;145(1):41-53. doi: 10.1353/aad.2012.0244.

Abstract

For a report on the stress experiences of parents with hearing-impaired children in Germany, 317 parents completed a survey on how their families communicate and socialize, among other issues. The report focuses on how contacts with other parents and with hearing-impaired adults affect stress experiences, in the context of the child's hearing status and the means of communication. Parents who frequently meet with other parents show evidence of a warm, accepting, trusting relationship with their child. Parents who have many contacts with hearing-impaired adults show evidence of a strong sense of competence in regard to their child's upbringing. The findings confirm the implication found in most reports describing empirical studies. Social support is to be regarded as a cornerstone of psychosocial intervention and has to play as great a role as possible in institutional programs.

MeSH terms

  • Adaptation, Psychological*
  • Adult
  • Child
  • Child Rearing
  • Child, Preschool
  • Communication
  • Family / psychology*
  • Hearing Disorders / psychology*
  • Humans
  • Interpersonal Relations*
  • Parents*
  • Social Support*
  • Stress, Psychological / psychology*