Objective: The authors investigated knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about mental illness and providers held by a group of deaf adults.
Method: The American Sign Language interviews of 54 deaf adults were analyzed.
Results: Recurrent themes included mistrust of providers, communication difficulty as a primary cause of mental health problems, profound concern with communication in therapy, and widespread ignorance about how to obtain services.
Conclusions: Deaf consumers' views need due consideration in service delivery planning. Outreach regarding existing programs is essential.