[The psychodynamics of deafness]

Deafness generates psychological conflicts for the deaf as well as for others in their environment. Our purpose is to obtain a panorama of the topic based on the available bibliography.

Relevant articles were located in Medline and in unlisted journals, accessible at the National Institute of the Human Communication and at the Juan N. Navarro Hospital of Mexico City. The books were located at the National Institute of the Human Communication.

The articles were selected by the authors, based in their apparent internal consistency and relation to our purpose. Two different concepts became apparent: one which recognizes a "personality of the deaf" that would predispose to emotional damage, and the other that denies that concept, explaining the distinctive features of deaf people as due to basically environmental factors.

We think that this review sustains the premise that the psychological damages of deafness are real, not inherent to it, but caused by the social, occupational, pedagogical and familiar conflicts that are generated. Those damages vary with the age at the presentation of deafness the personal adjustment to the deficiency and acceptance by the community. The mitigation of deafness, damage depends on educated parents, adequate instruction programs (scholastic as well as occupational), and when needed, appropriate supportive psychotherapy based on the specific needs of each deaf person and this/her environment. We consider highly desirable to promote the elaboration and publication of interdisciplinary studies related to this topic.