DID YOU KNOW....

According to a study conducted by Jo Atkinson (and Jim Cromwell England,
2005), the following conclusions were reached....

Can deaf people 'hear' voices?

Yes and No. Some can, but these seem to be deaf people who have
experience of hearing sound through residual hearing or before they
became deaf.

How do deaf people born profoundly deaf perceive voices?

It is likely they perceive communicative intent via a sense of being
signed to, fingerspelled to or of lip-reading speech. They may just
experience a sense of knowing what the voices say.

Do deaf people have more visual hallucinations?

This study found most participants did not have true visual
hallucinations but many perceived imagery in the mind's eye when the
voices were present.

If a deaf person replies 'yes' to the question "Do you hear voices?",
does this mean they really hear something?

Not necessarily. In order to make sense of strange experiences they may
develop the belief that they perceive the voice through a sense of
hearing. Deaf people adopt the language of hearing people and
psychiatric services in talking about their voice experiences.


Atkinson JR, (submitted) The perceptual characteristics of
voice-hallucinations in Deaf People with Schizophrenia: A review,
Schizophrenia Bulletin.


___________________________________________
Charlene J. Crump
MHI Coordinator, Office of Deaf Services
Alabama Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation

PO Box 301410, Montgomery, AL 36130
(334) 353-4703 (v)
(334) 353-4701 (tty)
(334) 242-3025 (fax)
charlene.crump@...






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