Reaching out to hearing-impaired very crucial

Recently, the Ghana National Association of the Deaf (GNAD) called on the health authorities to ensure that healthcare workers receive in-service training to understand and care for deaf people, particularly those with mental health conditions.

According to the association, a lot of deaf people did not receive appropriate mental health care due to the communication barrier that existed between healthcare professionals and deaf people.

The recommendation was part of findings from a study on the topic: “Assessing the knowledge of mental health issues and barriers to mental health services among deaf people in Ghana”.

The study was aimed at assessing, among others, the mental healthcare needs of deaf people in Ghana, the level of knowledge of deaf people on mental health conditions and related support services in four project regions in Ghana.

It also examined the coping strategies of deaf people with mental health conditions and their families.

The Daily Graphic cannot help but agree with the association, especially looking at the peculiar challenges some of our hearing-impaired brothers and sisters face when they try to access medical care.

Beyond accessing health care, individuals with disabilities encounter practical and social problems beyond those experienced by abled individuals. This extra burden may, in turn, increase the risk of developing mental health problems.

The deaf community struggles daily with stigma, prejudice and communication; and that's not all. Medical studies have found that deaf people suffer from mental health issues at about twice the rate among the general population, and also have real problems accessing needed mental health services.

Mental health issues common among the deaf include depression, anxiety and severe illnesses such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

Struggling to function in a hearing world can lead to mental health issues. According to research, many hearing-impaired individuals believe that communication problems, coupled with family stress and overall prejudice, could cause or contribute to suicidal depression, substance abuse or violent behaviour, in some cases.

There are many reasons someone may experience mental health issues, ranging from everyday struggles around money, employment and education to emotional struggles related to family and relationships, as well as insufficient access to mental health services and support.

In the deaf community, these problems are amplified because of difficulties in communicating, barriers to education and employment and a lack of accessible support. One reason deaf people are more at risk of experiencing emotional issues is that it is harder for them to access mainstream mental health services.

Difficulties in communication make it harder for the hearing-impaired to access even the most basic support services, such as talking to their doctors. It’s unlikely mainstream health professionals will be able to use sign language, which makes it difficult to comprehend what the hearing-impaired is communicating. Additionally, some deaf people may feel uncomfortable talking about sensitive issues through someone else.

The first research of its kind in 1994 found that 40 per cent of the deaf or hard-of-hearing population were affected by mental health issues, compared with 25 per cent of the hearing population.

It is imperative that the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service prioritise placing healthcare staff who are fluent in the Ghanaian sign language at some mental health services delivery centres to ensure effective mental healthcare delivery.

Additionally, we suggest strongly that the health authorities must factor into health policies and programmes the unique needs of deaf people to reduce the stigma and negative attitudes towards them.

Crucially, the current Mental Health Policy and the Mental Health Act must also be reviewed to capture the needs of deaf people.

There is also the need to improve mental health literacy among the deaf population to help them do self-assessment to facilitate help-seeking behaviours among them.

The Daily Graphic, as the mouthpiece for the voiceless, will continue to advocate legislation and policies that will protect deaf people with mental health conditions from discrimination.