Daily Stress, Hearing-Specific Stress and Coping: Self-reports from Deaf or Hard of Hearing Children and Children With Auditory Processing Disorder

This study evaluated stressors and coping strategies in 70 children who are deaf or hard of hearing (D/HH) or with auditory processing disorder (APD) attending Grades 5 and 6 of a school for deaf and hard-of-hearing children. Everyday general stressors and more hearing-specific stressors were examined in a hearing-specific modified stress and coping questionnaire. Reports were compared with normative data for hearing children. Regarding everyday general stressors, stress levels for children who are D/HH or with APD did not differ from those of hearing children. Within children with hearing problems, everyday stressors were experienced as more stressful than hearing-specific stressors. For coping strategies, differences between children with hearing problems (D/HH, APD) and hearing children were shown (i.e., problem solving, anger-related emotion regulation). Girls scored higher in seeking social support whereas boys reported higher amounts of media use as a way of coping. Differences regarding stress and coping between children who are D/HH and children with APD were minor; D/HH children reported more social support seeking. Implications for assessment and resource promotion are discussed.