Mental Health Problems of Deaf Dutch Children As Indicated by Parents' Responses to the Child Behavior Checklist

TLDR

Deaf children require expanded assessment and specialized services for emotional and behavioral problems. The study aims to broaden mental‑health data sources beyond parents to include teachers and the children themselves. The authors examined emotional and behavioral problems in 238 Dutch deaf children aged 4–18. Parental reports revealed that 41 % of deaf children had emotional/behavioral problems—about 2.6 times the 16 % in a Dutch normative sample—especially in families with poor parent‑child communication, with older children (12–18) showing more anxiety, depression, and social issues, and those with lower intelligence exhibiting greater social, thought, and attention problems.

Abstract

Emotional/behavioral problems of 238 deaf Dutch children ages 4-18 years were studied. Parental reports indicated that 41% had emotional/behavioral problems, a rate nearly 2.6 times higher than the 16% reported by parents of a Dutch normative sample. Mental health problems seemed most prevalent in families with poor parent-child communication. Deaf children ages 12-18 showed more problems with anxiety and depression and more social problems than those ages 4-11. Deaf children with relatively low intelligence showed more social problems, thought problems, and attention problems than those with relatively high intelligence. The authors stress the need to get information on deaf children's mental health functioning not just from parents but from other informants such as teachers and the children themselves. An expansion assessment of deaf children, and of special services and treatments for deaf children and adolescents with emotional/behavioral problems, is recommended.