Parenting Stress in Mothers of Children with Permanent Hearing Impairment

Abstract

Permanent childhood hearing impairment (PCHI) represents the most frequent sensory pathology at birth. PCHI has a relevant psychological impact on the life of both the affected children and their families. Thus, the aim of this work is to explore the degree of parental distress felt by mothers of a deaf or hard-of-hearing child, to determine if this stress is associated with variables related to the children’s health (e.g., the severity of hearing loss, presence of other conditions, difficulty with treatment options, difficulty with rehabilitation) or family characteristics such as socio-economic and educational status. The study used the Parenting Stress Index–Short Form (PSI-SF) questionnaire administered to mothers. The results were analyzed in relation to variables such as parents’ education level, number of children, severity of hearing loss, presence of other chronic conditions, presence of cognitive delay, familiarity with hearing loss, time of diagnosis, use of prosthetics, and start in a rehabilitation program. The data indicate a correlation between maternal stress levels and low-educational levels, as well as the presence of congenital infections and cognitive delay. These results highlight the need for a comprehensive physical and psychological approach for hearing-impaired children, as stress factors can affect the adherence to effective rehabilitation.

Navigating Silence: A Comprehensive Review of Parental Roles in the Rehabilitation of Children with Hearing Loss

“…Navigating the educational landscape for children with hearing loss involves intricate processes such as managing Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), integrating assistive technologies, and advocating within the educational system. Continisio, underscores the potential for overwhelming stress among parents associated with these complexities [30].…”

Pattern of Auditory and Cognitive Impairment in Children with Sickle Cell Disease: Single Center Experience

“…Children with hearing loss, specifically senso-neural hearing loss (SNHL), frequently experience speech-language deficits, lower academic achievements, impairment of attention, calculation difficulties and poor socio-emotional development than peers of the same age where they are frequently referred for neuropsychological evaluation (8). Impairment of long latency auditory evoked P300 potentials, also contribute to impaired mental processing (9).…”

Preschool Children with Hearing Loss: Social Communication and Parenting Stress

“…Their study mentioned the importance of considering the unique challenges that parents of children with HL have to face, including communication difficulties, educational concerns and maintaining hearing aid devices (HA) [10]. A more recent, retrospective study that included 82 children with HL (more than half of them younger than 36 months of age), found a correlation between maternal stress and additional disabilities, such as a cognitive delay or difficulties in motor skills, as well as maternal educational level [12].…”