Emotional Functioning, Positive Relationships, and Language Use in Deaf Adults
Cecilia Peñacoba1, Daniel Garvi1, Lourdes Gómez2
1Rey Juan Carlos University.
Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education
|December 10, 2019
Summary
Deaf adults experienced higher alexithymia and fewer positive relationships than hearing peers, but emotional regulation was similar. Language use impacted deaf individuals
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Linguistics
- Audiology
Background:
- Alexithymia, difficulty identifying and expressing emotions, is prevalent in various clinical groups.
- Interpersonal relationships are crucial for mental well-being and are influenced by emotional processing.
- Deaf individuals may face unique challenges in emotional regulation and social interaction due to communication barriers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate emotional regulation, alexithymia, and interpersonal relations in deaf adults compared to hearing adults.
- To analyze the association between language use (Spanish Oral Language, Spanish Sign Language, or both) and these psychological variables in deaf individuals.
Main Methods:
- A comparative study involving 146 adult deaf participants and 146 typical hearing participants from Spain.
- Assessment of emotional regulation, alexithymia, and interpersonal relationship quality using standardized measures.
- Analysis of language use patterns among deaf participants and their correlation with psychological outcomes.
Main Results:
- Deaf participants exhibited higher levels of alexithymia and reported poorer quality of positive relationships compared to hearing participants.
- No significant differences were observed in emotional regulation between deaf and hearing groups.
- Among deaf participants, those primarily using Spanish Oral Language (SOL) reported better positive relationships than those using both SOL and Spanish Sign Language (SSL).
- Deaf participants using both SOL and SSL showed enhanced emotional attention and emotional repair capabilities.
Conclusions:
- Deafness is associated with increased alexithymia and challenges in interpersonal relationships, but not necessarily with impaired emotional regulation.
- The mode of language expression significantly influences interpersonal relationships and certain aspects of emotional processing in deaf adults.
- Findings highlight the complex interplay between language modality, emotional functioning, and social well-being in the deaf population.
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