Psychiatric aspects of deafness

Paranoia has long been associated with deafness, but the most significant psychiatric questions in the field of deafness concern the effects of prelingual deafness on intelligence, personality, and control of aggressive drives. With intensive language training, an emotionally favorable family situation, and adequate education, prelingual deafness has little or no deleterious effect on intelligence or personality. It does not predispose to major psychotic illnesses, but probably affects character structure in such a way as to accentuate impulsivity, and weaken depressive and obsessional traits. In order to prevent psychiatric morbidity in the deaf, the primary care physician needs not only to be able to diagnose and treat deafness and its causes, but also to grasp the importance of family counseling, adequate communication and education, and vocational rehabilitation for the deaf.