DID YOU KNOW...


Obstacles to communication and lack of understanding of deaf language
and culture has resulted in many cases of misdiagnosis of deaf patients
by hearing clinicians, as has been well document. Denmark has described
the following common pitfalls in the psychiatric and psychological
assessment of deaf people:

1. Mental illness may not be recognized because of communication
problems;
2. Mental illness may be mistakenly diagnoses;
a. communication problems may be mistakenly attributed to mental
illness;
b. difficulties in conceptualization may be mistaken for mental
illness;
c. symptoms due to physical illness may be mistakenly attributed to
mental illness
3. Intellectual impairment may be mistakenly diagnoses;
4. Intellectual impairment may not be recognized.

Errors like these have had serious consequences for the misdiagnosed
deaf - from unnecessary lifelong hospitalization and treatment to denial
of much needed treatment for mood or psychotic (or even general medical)
disorders.


Sign Language Interpretation in Psychotherapy with Deaf Patients
Anne Porter
American Journal of Psychotherapy
Spring 1999; 53, 2; pg. 163-176

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