Research Article: Socio-Emotional Experiences and Wellbeing of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children and Their Parents before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Abstract:
Deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) children in Victoria, Australia, were exposed to strict public health restrictions, including sustained lockdowns, during the COVID-19 pandemic. DHH children have higher health and socio-emotional needs than their hearing peers. We aimed to (1) describe the socio-emotional experiences of DHH children and their parents and (2) compare child and parent socio-emotional wellbeing, before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Between May and September 2020, 497 (62%) parents of DHH children from the Victorian Childhood Hearing Longitudinal Databank completed an online survey. Measures were drawn from the CoRonavIruS Health Impact Survey (CRISIS) v3.0. Data were summarized using descriptive statistics to compare outcomes before and during the pandemic. Parents reported their children to have more negative socio-emotional wellbeing (mean emotions/worries score, EWS, changed from 0.76 pre-pandemic to 1.10 during the pandemic, mean difference 0.34, 95% CI: 0.28 to 0.39), regardless of the type or severity of hearing loss. Parents also had more negative socio-emotional wellbeing (mean EWS changed from 1.05 pre-pandemic to 1.43 during the pandemic, mean difference 0.38, 95% CI: 0.31 to 0.44). Negative socio-emotional experiences co-occurred with large social changes during the pandemic. Additional services should support the socio-emotional wellbeing of DHH children during significant adverse childhood experiences.
Introduction:
Socio-emotional development is an essential component of optimal child development [1]. It allows children to interact with others via reciprocal social interactions [2] and is crucial for the development of relationships with family and peers. However, deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) children [3] often experience socio-emotional difficulties, with evidence suggesting that up to 41% of deaf children aged 4–18 years have emotional and behavioral problems [4], rates that are approximately two times higher than…
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