No one is listening: Members of the Deaf community share their depression narratives

Abstract

This exploratory case study conducted in Manitoba, Canada examined a unique social justice issue in the field of mental health, namely, how Deaf adults, all American Sign Language first-language users who were diagnosed with Depression, manage their symptoms in a mental health system that is based on spoken, not signed communication. Using in-depth individual interviews, and a hand-drawn Person and Environment Map, this study offers rich in-depth narratives of the experiences and challenges faced by members of the Deaf community seeking mental health assessment and intervention.