| Abstract: | Mental health professionals who are unfamiliar with the psychosocial development of prelingually deaf individuals are likely to misdiagnose deaf patients. Concrete and sometimes fragmented deaf communication can be similar to the disordered language present in schizophrenic and organic mental disorders. Egocentric and rigid behaviors, products of deaf enculturation, can be mistaken for personality disorders. Linguistic and cultural differences limit the usefulness of standard assessment methods such as the mental status examination and psychological testing. An awareness of the complex problems associated with hearing impairment and the assistance of a professional trained in deafness are indispensable in the evaluation of deaf patients. |
