Employment and Quality of Life in Adults who are Deaf

Research shows that work is closely related to self-esteem (Walter, 1993). Yet many young people who are deaf or hard of hearing (D/HH) are choosing not to work. How does this affect their self-esteem and overall quality of life? Quality of life (QoL) is the satisfaction one feels about his current situation. Using the Comprehensive Quality of Life Scale-Adult (ComQol-A5) (Cummins, 1997), the perceived QoL of eleven pairs of matched participants(N=22) from a State School for the Deaf was measured. Data were used to analyze the impact that employment had upon their perceived QoL. The results indicated no significant differences in the two groups. The unemployed participants appeared to be just as happy as those who were employed. This was an unexpected finding, and possible reasons for these results are discussed. Several significant correlations were found between the seven life components of QoL. Suggestions for future research are offered

Language and Reading Progress of Young Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children.

We examined the language and reading progress of 336 young DHH children in kindergarten, first and second grades. Trained assessors tested children's language, reading, and spoken and fingerspelled phonological awareness in the fall and spring of the school year. Children were divided into groups based on their auditory access and classroom communication: a spoken-only group (n = 101), a sign-only group (n = 131), and a bimodal group (n = 104). Overall, children showed delays in language and reading compared to norms established for hearing children. For language, vocabulary standard scores were higher than for English syntax. Although delayed in language, children made expected gains based on hearing norms from kindergarten to second grade. Reading scores declined from kindergarten to second grade. Spoken-only and bimodal children had similar word reading and reading comprehension abilities and higher scores than sign-only children. Spoken-only children had better spoken phonological awareness and nonword reading skills than the other two groups. The sign-only and bimodal groups made similar and significant gains in ASL syntax and fingerspelling phonological awareness

Work Attitudes of Students who are Deaf and Their Potential Employers

This study examined the attitudes held by high school students who are deaf and their potential employers regarding employees who are deaf. The subjects of this study were 30 employers from a large metropolitan area in the southeast and 30 high school students who are deaf. Subjects responded to a Likert scale that focused on how each group perceived the others\u27 opinions of work-related issues and attitudes. Results indicated three individual areas of significance (i.e., writing, intelligence, and inability to use a telephone) and one significant aggregate group (i.e., communication). The authors discuss these results from the perspective of providing information to professionals preparing high school students who are deaf for the world of work

No straight lines – young women’s perceptions of their mental health and wellbeing during and after pregnancy: a systematic review and meta-ethnography

Background: Young mothers face mental health challenges during and after pregnancy including increased rates of depression compared to older mothers. While the prevention of teenage pregnancy in countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom has been a focus for policy and research in recent decades, the need to understand young women’s own experiences has been highlighted. The aim of this meta-ethnography was to examine young women’s perceptions of their mental health and wellbeing during and after pregnancy to provide new understandings of those experiences. Methods: A systematic review and meta-ethnographic synthesis of qualitative research was conducted. Seven databases were systematically searched and forward and backward searching conducted. Papers were included if they were from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries and explored mental health and wellbeing experiences of young mothers (age under 20 in pregnancy; under 25 at time of research) as a primary research question – or where evidence about mental health and wellbeing from participants was foregrounded. Nineteen papers were identified and the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme checklist for qualitative research used to appraise the evidence. Following the seven-step process of meta-ethnography, key constructs were examined within each study and then translated into one another. Results: Seven translated themes were identified forming a new line of argument wherein mental health and wellbeing was analysed as relating to individual bodily experiences; tied into past and present relationships; underpinned by economic insecurity and entangled with feelings of societal surveillance. There were ‘no straight lines’ in young women’s experiences, which were more complex than dominant narratives around overcoming adversity suggest. Conclusions: The synthesis concludes that health and social care professionals need to reflect on the operation of power and stigma in young women’s lives and its impact on wellbeing. It adds to understanding of young women’s mental health and wellbeing during and after pregnancy as located in physical and structural factors rather than individual capacities alone

Employment and Quality of Life in Adults who are Deaf

Research shows that work is closely related to self-esteem (Walter, 1993). Yet many young people who are deaf or hard of hearing (D/HH) are choosing not to work. How does this affect their self-esteem and overall quality of life? Quality of life (QoL) is the satisfaction one feels about his current situation. Using the Comprehensive Quality of Life Scale-Adult (ComQol-A5) (Cummins, 1997), the perceived QoL of eleven pairs of matched participants(N=22) from a State School for the Deaf was measured. Data were used to analyze the impact that employment had upon their perceived QoL. The results indicated no significant differences in the two groups. The unemployed participants appeared to be just as happy as those who were employed. This was an unexpected finding, and possible reasons for these results are discussed. Several significant correlations were found between the seven life components of QoL. Suggestions for future research are offered

Work Attitudes of Students who are Deaf and Their Potential Employers

This study examined the attitudes held by high school students who are deaf and their potential employers regarding employees who are deaf. The subjects of this study were 30 employers from a large metropolitan area in the southeast and 30 high school students who are deaf. Subjects responded to a Likert scale that focused on how each group perceived the others\u27 opinions of work-related issues and attitudes. Results indicated three individual areas of significance (i.e., writing, intelligence, and inability to use a telephone) and one significant aggregate group (i.e., communication). The authors discuss these results from the perspective of providing information to professionals preparing high school students who are deaf for the world of work

Language and Reading Progress of Young Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children.

We examined the language and reading progress of 336 young DHH children in kindergarten, first and second grades. Trained assessors tested children's language, reading, and spoken and fingerspelled phonological awareness in the fall and spring of the school year. Children were divided into groups based on their auditory access and classroom communication: a spoken-only group (n = 101), a sign-only group (n = 131), and a bimodal group (n = 104). Overall, children showed delays in language and reading compared to norms established for hearing children. For language, vocabulary standard scores were higher than for English syntax. Although delayed in language, children made expected gains based on hearing norms from kindergarten to second grade. Reading scores declined from kindergarten to second grade. Spoken-only and bimodal children had similar word reading and reading comprehension abilities and higher scores than sign-only children. Spoken-only children had better spoken phonological awareness and nonword reading skills than the other two groups. The sign-only and bimodal groups made similar and significant gains in ASL syntax and fingerspelling phonological awareness