Deaf Child and Adolescent Consumers of Public Behavioral Health Services

Abstract

This study describes the demographic profiles of 1,164 deaf children and adolescents who are consumers of the public behavioral health services in the state of Maryland. Up until recent years, data about deaf adults, children, and youth were unavailable. Over the past couple years, items to the Outcomes Measurement System (OMS) Interview included questions such as "primary language" and boxes to indicate if the participant was "deaf." The data presented in this paper are extracted from the state database of all consumers of public behavioral health services from January 1, 2016 to January 1, 2018. The sample included 1,166 deaf children and adolescents. The results include a demographic profile of deaf children on the OMS items, including the likelihood of being diagnosed with specific disorders. The results of this sample were also compared to the aggregate results on hearing children and adolescents. Results indicate that deaf youth are homeless at lower rates than their hearing counterparts. They are employed less and less likely to be arrested than their hearing counterparts. Reports of smoking, psychosocial functioning, school performance, and substance use were similar to hearing children and adolescents.