Emotional Health and Well-being

Evidence suggests that deaf children are more likely to experience mental health problems. With the right support, deaf children can grow up to be confident and resilient individuals. However, growing up deaf in a hearing world can pose challenges to the emotional well-being of many deaf children.

That is why the provision of mental health services to deaf children is crucial - to ensure that deaf children have the same emotional well-being as their hearing peers.

NDCS Scotland is campaigning to ensure that deaf young people in Scotland have access to specialist mental health service, which are fully accessible, if and when they need them. We're also campaigning to raise awareness of the need to promote positive emotional well-being amongst deaf children with the professionals who are already working with them in schools, youth clubs and so on.

January 2009:  The Scottish Parliament Health and Sport Committee has now launched an Inquiry into Mental Health Services for young people.  NDCS Scotland was invited to submit written evidence to inform the Inquiry - take a look

 NDCS Scotland Written Evidence to Health & Sport Committee - Mental Health - 20th Jan 09 (146 kb)

June 2008: The Scottish Parliament Health and Sport Committee recently looked at the issue of lack of access to specialist mental health services for deaf adults in Scotland.   

Services for deaf children were not being considered until NDCS Scotland submitted a written evidence paper for Committee Members and witnesses, including the Minister for Public Health, Shona Robison MSP.

NDCS Scotland will now continue to lobby the Scottish Government on access to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) for deaf children and is develops its CAMHS pathways in the coming parliamentary session, and any associated research into unmet need.

Read more

• NDCS Scotland Briefing Note to Health and Sport Committee - CAMH services for Deaf Children - June 2008.pdf (65 kb)

• What the Committee said >

• NDCS has produced a report on Developing mental health services for deaf children and young people in Northern Ireland.
• Read NDCS's policy on Mental health.

If you have any comments on this issue, or any experiences that you would like to share with us,please get in touch.

Remember, your stories help us campaign for better support for deaf children throughout Scotland.

Email: campaigns.scotland@ndcs.org.uk

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