Chatzidamianos, Gerasimos and Taylor, Amanda (2014) The silent corner of mental health and Deafness : an interdisciplinary dialogue. In: Lancaster Disability Studies Conference, 2014-09-09 - 2014-09-11, Lancaster University.
Full text not available from this repository.Abstract
Background: Deaf people have historically been marginalised. Their hearing impairment is often the sole underlying factor for not being able to access everyday information, appropriate education, or health services. Being Deaf experiencing a mental health problem leads to further marginalisation. In the UK, specialised services for this population are sparse with limited resources and underfunded. As such, most Deaf people are treated in mainstream services by clinicians who lack specialised knowledge regarding Deafness and who are predominantly unable to communicate in sign language. Deaf people with mental health problems are, in effect, overrepresented in mental health inpatient care. Reports suggest that whilst an average stay of hearing mentally ill individuals in a psychiatric unit in Flanders is 148 days, the figure for Deaf patients increases to 19.5 years. Workshop: This workshop will involve a dialogue between a psychology clinical researcher and a psychiatric social work practitioner exploring the challenges of the experiences of people who are Deaf in mental health services. The dialogue will be informed by the ‘Independent Inquiry into the Care and Treatment of Daniel Joseph’; a Deaf young adult with severe mental health problems who pleaded guilty for manslaughter and was sent to Broadmoor top security hospital indefinitely. Aim: The workshop aims to enhance our understanding of the barriers to mental healthcare provision to Deaf people with mental health problems, offer clinical recommendations and provide an opportunity for reflective practice in mental healthcare. Resources: You can access the ‘Independent Inquiry into the Care and Treatment of Daniel Joseph’ here. http://www.deafinfo.org.uk/policy/the_daniel_joseph_report.pdf