Loneliness and Social Isolation in the Work Place for Deaf Individuals During the Transition Years: A Preliminary Investigation

Abstract

This study is a first attempt to examine the experience of loneliness and social isolation for young adults who are deaf. It was hypothesized that these factors play a significant role in job retention and effective workplace functioning for individuals who are deaf or who have special communication needs and that social integration difficulties could result in poor vocational and psychological outcomes. This study found that communication barriers in the workplace create social difficulties and affect the performance of people who are deaf. Strategies utilized for coping with isolation and for improving integration into the workplace are described and recommendations for future research and intervention with deaf youth are offered.

Career and Workplace Experiences of Australian University Graduates Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

“…Reflecting the literature (Foster & Macleod, 2003;Laroche et al, 2000;Scherich, 1996;Scherich & Mowry, 1997;Steinberg et al, 1999), the current study found difficulties with the "social" side of work life. These difficulties were reported in the forced-choice answers, where approximately half of both the Auslan group and the spoken English group reported experiencing a lot of difficulty in work-related social functions.…”

'Being Alone Is More Painful than Getting Hurt': The Moderating Role of Workplace Loneliness in the Association between Workplace Ostracism and Job Performance

“…Demographic and situational factors, in addition to individual ones, have been found to be associated with loneliness. In their study of deaf workers, Steinberg et al (1999) concluded that communication barriers create a sense of loneliness and thus negatively affect performance. Furthermore, one study found that community spirit, non-work support, support from supervisors, and support from colleagues all negatively affect workplace loneliness, whereas a climate of fear positively affects workplace loneliness (Wright, 2005).…”

Parent Hearing Aid Experiences

“…Social Ecologies involves the purposeful pursuit, sustenance, and maintenance of professional and social opportunities (Reiff et al, 1995). Psychosocial aspects of Social Ecologies include deliberate immersion in supportive social networks (Reiff et al, 1995); the family's value system (Luckner & Muir, 2001;Menchel, 1995;Toscano et al, 2002); the benefits of interacting only with peers who have typical hearing, the Deaf community, or both (Antia, Reed, & Kreimeyer, 2005;Brown & Foster, 1991;Johnston, Leigh, & Foreman, 2002); the importance of childhood role models who are deaf (Bain et al, 2004;Bonds, 2003;Foster & Macleod, 2004;Jacobs, 2004); strategies peers with typical hearing can use to assist the social inclusion of individuals who are deaf (Bain et al, 2004;Bonds, 2003;Bibby et al, 1996;Calderon & Greenberg, 2000;Steinberg et al, 1999;Stinson, Liu, et al, 1996); and cultural and ethnic issues related to socialization (Scheetz, 2004).…”

“…Studies have also found that many individuals who are deaf experience depression, loneliness, exhaustion, lethargy, anxiety, and social dissatisfaction (e.g., Backenroth-Ohsako, Wennberg, & Klinteberg, 2003;Heine & Browning, 2002). These psychosocial challenges can, in turn, severely compromise their educational, social, and employment prospects (Hawthorne & Hogan, 2002;Steinberg, Sullivan, & Montoya, 1999). Low social participation for individuals who are deaf has further been strongly correlated with their own and also their partner's poor health-related quality of life (Hawthorne & Hogan, 2002;Hogan et al, 2001).…”