Mental Health in American and Japanese Hearing Impaired Populations : A Comparative Study

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  • 聴覚障害者の精神健康に関する日米比較
  • チョウカク ショウガイシャ ノ セイシン ケンコウ ニ カンスル ニチベイ ヒカク

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A 30-item GHQ was administered to an American sample of hearing impaired undergraduate students at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. The GHQ results were compared with those of a Japanese sample. Analysis of the data yielded the following conclusions. 1. In both the American and the Japanese hearing impaired samples, the overall GHQ score was somewhat more elevated than the norm for psychologically healthy people, although still within the non-neurotic range. 2. There were no differences seen between deaf and hard of hearing for the American samples in the measure of overall mental health. In the Japanese sample, the hard of hearing group achieved scores indicating significantly less psychological health than did the Japanese deaf group. 3. It was noted that both Japanese samples, especially the hard of hearing group, reported significantly more symptoms on the Somatic and Sleep disturbance scales than American samples. 4. U.S. society has made significant gains in its services to and acceptance of deaf people. Thus, the relatively more healthy U.S. scores may reflect greater support in accepting their degree of deafness. Japanese society is less accepting of disabilities, which may exert more and greater stress on Japanese deaf and hard of hearing persons. The distress this produces is expressed in culturally sanctioned ways.

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