Citation

Anderson ML, Wolf Craig KS, Hall WC, Ziedonis DM. J. Child Adolesc. Trauma 2016; 9(4): 353-358.

Affiliation

Department of Psychiatry, Systems & Psychosocial Advances Research Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 222 Maple Avenue, Chang Building, Shrewsbury, MA 01545, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2016, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s40653-016-0111-2

PMID

28138351

Abstract

Conducting semi-structured American Sign Language interviews with 17 Deaf trauma survivors, this pilot study explored Deaf individuals' trauma experiences and whether these experiences generally align with trauma in the hearing population. Most commonly reported traumas were physical assault, sudden unexpected deaths, and "other" very stressful events. Although some "other" events overlap with traumas in the general population, many are unique to Deaf people (e.g., corporal punishment at oral/aural school if caught using sign language, utter lack of communication with hearing parents). These findings suggest that Deaf individuals may experience developmental traumas distinct to being raised in a hearing world. Such traumas are not captured by available trauma assessments, nor are they considered in evidence-based trauma treatments.

Language: en

Keywords

Deaf and hard-of-hearing community; Developmental trauma; Life Events Checklist; PTSD; Posttraumatic stress disorder