[Psychiatric problems in people with hearing loss]

Hearing loss means a reduced access to a spoken language, depending on the severity and the possibility of hearing support. A sign language is on the other hand fully accessible.

To describe the impact of hearing loss on mental health related to language ability.

From the literature a general picture will be presented of the impact of hearing loss on mental health. This is followed by a discussion of the influence of hearing loss on the prevalence and influence of diverse psychiatric conditions (schizophrenia, autism, depression/anxiety disorders).

A relationship between mental health problems and hearing loss is evidenced. The use of a sign language seems to reduce the risk of a mental health problem in deaf individuals.

The results have to be interpreted alongside the fact that research is based on relatively few countries. It is therefore not possible to generalize the results; cultural differences possibly exist. The relationship between language choice and language ability has not been studied in enough depth. More research and comparative research across countries is essential with full information on language choice/language ability.