An investigation into the relationship between the precieved strengths and difficulties of deaf young people and their self-esteem

Studies examining the well-being of deaf young people have showed that factors such as communication, types of school and identities might be related to their self-esteem and socio-emotional well-being. The measures of well-being are often carried out by using psychometrics tests that have been standardised with the hearing population. The present study attempted to take all of these factors into account and the variations within them when considering the well-being of deaf young people. Deaf young people and their parents have been recruited through information passed on by organisations working with deaf young people. Four psychometric tests were used to measure the well-being and identity of deaf young people, of which three have been standardised with the hearing population; Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaires (both versions of self-reports and parent-reports). The fourth questionnaire, Attitudes and Identity Questionnaire (Ridgeway, 1998), had been developed to be used with the deaf population. Few significant findings were found: hearing parents were more likely to report difficulties of their deaf child compared to Deaf parents, also that there was a relationship between self-esteem and self-reported difficulties of deaf young people. These results, however, should be treated with caution because of the small sample size. This study raised concerns regarding the reliability of using psychometric tests, which have been standardised with the hearing population, with the deaf population. It raised questions as to whether the measure of the well-being of deaf young people was actually an accurate measure of what the questionnaires intended to measure.