Language deprivation syndrome: a possible neurodevelopmental disorder with sociocultural origins

Abstract

Purpose There is a need to better understand the epidemiological relationship between language development and psychiatric symptomatology. Language development can be particularly impacted by social factors, as seen in the developmental choices made for deaf children which can create language deprivation. A possible mental health syndrome may be present in deaf patients with severe language deprivation. Methods Electronic databases were searched to identify publications focusing on language development and mental health in the deaf population. Screening of relevant publications narrowed the search results to 35 publications. Results Although there is very limited empirical evidence, there appears to be suggestions of a mental health syndrome by clinicians working with deaf patients. Possible features include language dysfluency, fund of knowledge deficits, and disruptions in thinking, mood, and/or behavior. Conclusion The clinical specialty of deaf mental health appears to be struggling with a clinically observed phenomenon that has yet to be empirically investigated and defined within the DSM-5. Descriptions of patients within the clinical setting suggest a language deprivation syndrome. Language development experiences have an epidemiological relationship with psychiatric outcomes in deaf people. This requires more empirical attention and has implications for other populations with behavioral health disparities as well.

What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You: The Risk of Language Deprivation by Impairing Sign Language Development in Deaf Children

“…Mental health clinicians often see language deprivation and language dysfluency being a common “symptom” in deaf individuals who seek treatment, and are subsequently admitted to inpatient hospitals (Black & Glickman, 2006). For some of these deaf patients, language deprivation is so severe that it may be its own mental health disorder – a “language deprivation syndrome” (Glickman, 2007, 2009; Gulati, 2003, 2014; W. C. Hall, Levin, & Anderson, in press; Humphries et al, 2016b).…”

Avoiding Linguistic Neglect of Deaf Children

“…As early as 1993, Mather and Mitchell (1993, 120) introduced the term "communication abuse" to describe the failure to provide deaf children with "full access to communication." Severe language deprivation can be considered its own mental health disorder, the language deprivation syndrome (Gulati 2003(Gulati , 2014Glickman 2009b;Hall, Levin, and Anderson 2016). We argue that not protecting children against this syndrome is severe neglect.…”

Deaf Children as ‘English Learners’: The Psycholinguistic Turn in Deaf Education

“…Humphries et al [59] explicate the dangers of not meeting the language needs of deaf children in terms of their psycho-social health, citing increases in depression, behavioral problems, juvenile delinquency, abuse, and lack of access to critical social, mental health, and educational services. Hall, Levin, and Anderson [103] go so far as to posit the existence of what they refer to as 'language deprivation syndrome,' which they argue may be present in deaf patients with severe language deprivation. Based on their review of thirty-five publications pertaining to the mental health of the deaf population, they argue that possible features of this syndrome may include "language dysfluency, fund of knowledge deficits, and disruptions in thinking, mood, and/or behavior" [103] (p. 761).…”

“…Hall, Levin, and Anderson [103] go so far as to posit the existence of what they refer to as 'language deprivation syndrome,' which they argue may be present in deaf patients with severe language deprivation. Based on their review of thirty-five publications pertaining to the mental health of the deaf population, they argue that possible features of this syndrome may include "language dysfluency, fund of knowledge deficits, and disruptions in thinking, mood, and/or behavior" [103] (p. 761). The researchers admit that the empirical evidence in support of 'language deprivation syndrome' is very limited.…”