The experience of deafened adults: Implications for rehabilitative services

This study explored the psychological and social effects of becoming deaf as an adolescent or adult and the adequacy of rehabilitation services offered to such individuals. Qualitative interviews were conducted with a sample of eight deafened adults in the Province of Ontario, Canada. The results indicated that medical interventions (for example, audiometric testing, hearing aid provision, and cochlear implantation) were relied on exclusively as rehabilitation services for the deafened adults. None of the study participants were referred to individual, family, or group counseling by their physicians or hearing health services providers, despite the many negative effects of becoming deaf that participants described. This gap in service makes it apparent that the rehabilitation system for adventitious deafness needs the involvement of counselors and social workers to better ensure that the psychosocial needs of clients are addressed.