While the conversation about mental health issues has opened up in recent years, the struggles of the deaf community have unfortunately been overlooked.
Hearing-impaired people in SA deal with many emotional, psychological and societal issues that negatively impact their wellbeing, mental health and general access to proper care.
Statistics show that about 12 million people in SA live with some form of hearing loss, resulting in academic difficulties, heightened unemployment and poorer general health.
All these issues are made worse by social isolation.
Dr Ian Westmore, a board member of the South African Society of Psychiatrists, said there was a lack of awareness among healthcare providers and policymakers on the unique mental health needs of the deaf community.
“Healthcare professionals must account for gaps in knowledge and emotional vocabulary, cultural backgrounds, and the inability to communicate mental health symptoms. Communication within the deaf community presents its own set of challenges.
“In many cases, certain mental health concepts cannot be adequately conveyed through sign language alone.
“Lip reading often falls short and written communication cannot fully substitute spoken language,” said Westmore.
Interpreters were the likely solution, however, there would still be issues of barriers that hindered the expression of emotions and high possibilities of misunderstandings.
SASL intepreter and trainer Asanda Katshwa, who was raised by her two deaf parents, understands the difficulties they faced.
“This is such a big issue for us. Mental health matters greatly affect deaf people.
“For one, they don’t have access to general services like others, like child care, emergency services, and counseling, among others.
“There are also no sign language interpreters and hearing professionals are not making enough of an effort to try and make sure that one is available when needed.
“I think education is the most important aspect. The public needs to be sensitised to these issues,“ said Katshwa.
Westmore said there were seven possible measures that could be taken to assist the deaf community with mental health issues they may face.
“It is vital that society recognises the unique challenges faced by deaf individuals and takes proactive steps to address them.
“By breaking down communication barriers, improving mental health services, and raising awareness, we can ensure that the deaf community in South Africa receives the support and care they deserve, ultimately improving their overall mental wellbeing,” said Westmore.
Some of these measures included training medical professionals in basic sign language, creating specialised mental health services to cater for the hearing impaired, awareness campaigns, support groups, and educating and encouraging members of the deaf community to consider careers in mental health fields to help bridge the gap in accurately diagnosing conditions and providing culturally sensitive care.
