Help-Seeking Behavioral Among Deaf and Hard of Hearing Individuals

When deaf and hard of hearing individuals seek help from behavioral health services, they are looking for more than behavioral health expertise. Many are looking for services that meet their needs in terms of linguistic skills and cultural knowledge.

However, little is known about help-seeking behavior and associated beliefs among deaf and hard of hearing individuals. The purpose of this study is to examine help-seeking behaviors and self-efficacy in relation to psychosocial factors and individual demographics among a sample of 234 deaf individuals.

Results of an anonymous survey indicated that self-efficacy scores improved with stronger social networks.

The interaction between parents’ communication method and social network influenced negative life events scores. Negative life events and parents’ communication methods were significant predictors of help-seeking behavior.

Practitioners can incorporate these findings into their practice assessments and treatment as well as outreach efforts and program implementation.