Happiful October 2020

But alongside these difficulties in
communicating, Louise highlights
how individuals have been
kind and supportive during the
pandemic. “Retail workers have
been great – when I tell them I am
deaf, they often lower their masks
behind the clear screen so I can
see their mouths.”
As a lot of people with hearing
impairments rely on mouth
patterns and lip reading, wearing
a mask has made many people
feel more isolated. Since face
masks have become mandatory,
there has been no formal
acknowledgement of support
for the deaf community with
regards to how they cope with
this requirement. However,
members of the public have taken
the initiative to address the issue,
with seamstresses creating masks
with ‘windows’ to help those with
hearing loss to see others’ mouths,
while keeping faces covered.
While it’s clear that Covid-19 has
impacted the mental wellbeing of
the deaf community, it’s important
to be aware that even before the
pandemic, deaf individuals have
disproportionately struggled with
mental health issues. Out of the
66 million people living in the UK,
11 million experience hearing
loss. While we’re all familiar with
the stats on one in four people in
the UK experiencing mental illhealth,
in the deaf community the
prevalence of mental illness can
range from 30–60%. The question
is, why is mental illness more
common for those with hearing
impairments, and how we can help?
The main thing it often comes
down to is communication. Some
Even before the
pandemic, deaf
individuals have
disproportionately
struggled with mental
health issues
deaf individuals feel incredibly
isolated due to not being able to
hear or speak with others easily,
which can have a knock-on effect
on their mental wellbeing. In
particular, the Mental Health
Foundation reports that childhood
is the peak time for deaf people to
experience mental health issues,
with deaf children tending to show
more signs of depression, anxiety,
and low self-concept.
Part of the issue could relate to
being deaf within a mainstream
school, which can result in a wide
range of communication barriers.
One report revealed that hearing
individuals who are not confident
in how to communicate with their
deaf peers, may simply choose not
to communicate at all. And yet,
when communication between
both deaf and hearing individuals
is effective, this can greatly impact
their development, with both
being found to show an increase in
intelligent speech, social skills, and
positive interactions, according to
a study published in The Journal of
Deaf Studies and Deaf Education.
34 • happiful.com • October 2020