Self-esteem in children and adolescents with hearing loss

Abstract

Children with hearing loss are at risk for lower self-esteem due to differences from hearing peers relative to communication skills, physical appearance, and social maturity. This study examines the influence of generic factors unrelated to hearing loss (e.g., age, gender, temperament) and specific factors associated with hearing loss (e.g., age at identification, communication skills) on how children with hearing loss wearing cochlear implants or hearing aids appraise self-esteem. Fifty children with hearing loss wearing cochlear implants or hearing aids participated (Mean age: 12.88 years; mean duration of device use: 3.43 years). Participants independently completed online questionnaires to assess communication skills, social engagement, self-esteem, and temperament. Children with hearing loss rated global self-esteem significantly more positively than hearing peers, t = 2.38, p = .02. Self-esteem ratings attained significant positive correlations with affiliation (r = .42, p = .002) and attention (r = .45, p = .001) temperaments and a significant negative association with depressive mood (r = - .60, p < .0001). No significant correlations emerged between self-esteem and demographic factors, communication skills, or social engagement. Because successful communication abilities do not always co-occur with excellent quality of life, clinicians and professionals working with children with hearing loss need to understand components contributing to self-esteem to improve identification, counseling, and external referrals for children in this population.

Keywords: adolescents; children; cochlear implant; hearing loss; quality of life; self-esteem.

Figure 1.

Effect of hearing loss on self-esteem. The y axis displays ratings of self-esteem, as measured by the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES; Rosenberg, 1965) of individual children and adolescents with hearing loss, represented on the x axis.

Figure 2.

Relationship between affiliation and self-esteem. The affiliation temperament, as measured by the Early Adolescent Temperament Questionnaire-Revised (EATQ-R), is displayed on the x axis, and self-esteem, as measured by the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES; Rosenberg, 1965), is displayed on the y axis. A higher score on the affiliation domain indicates a greater desire for warmth and closeness with others.

Figure 3.

Relationship between attention and self-esteem. The attention temperament, as measured by the Early Adolescent Temperament Questionnaire-Revised (EATQ-R), is displayed on the x axis, and self-esteem, as measured by the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES; Rosenberg, 1965), is displayed on the y axis. A higher score on the attention domain reflects a greater capacity to focus or shift attention.

Figure 4.

Relationship between depressive mood and self-esteem. The depressive mood behavior, as measured by the Early Adolescent Temperament Questionnaire-Revised (EATQ-R), is displayed on the x axis, and self-esteem, as measured by the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES; Rosenberg, 1965), is displayed on the y axis. A higher score on the depressive mood domain corresponds to a more unpleasant, unhappy affect.