Supporting your deaf child’s mental health and wellbeing

Everyone experiences a bit of stress or anxiety from time to time. These emotions exist to help us learn about what’s important to us and what we need, but when they are unresolved or last a long time, that can cause bigger problems.

Research suggests that deaf young people are more likely to develop mental health conditions than their hearing peers. This is because it can be very challenging to live in a world that isn’t always deaf-aware. Additional difficulties around struggling to communicate, social challenges, reduced expectations or dealing with big changes to routines can all impact your deaf child.

Spotting the signs

If your deaf young person seems to have more bad days than good days – or if they're struggling with extreme or intense emotions – it could be a sign that they need more support. Some things to think about (and keep a record of) include:

• Are their symptoms lasting a long time (over multiple weeks or months)?
• Do feelings of being overwhelmed, unable to control their emotions or difficulties with their appetite and sleep make it hard to function in their daily life or interact with others?
• Do they still feel unwell, even after trying some of their usual ways to unwind, relax and look after themselves (such as spending time with friends or taking part in a favourite activity)?
• Are they experiencing physical symptoms (such as fatigue, tension, headaches or stomach problems) that don’t have an obvious cause?

All deaf young people have the right to support, whether that’s at school, work or in social settings. If they are not receiving that support, it can be very difficult. Check in with them to see if there are any challenges impacting their lives.

Involving professionals and wider support networks

As a parent, it can sometimes be hard to have conversations about emotional health and wellbeing with your deaf child – especially as they get older and are maybe less likely to come to you with their issues. 

You can share our page on getting help with them, but you might find it helpful to read this quick overview:

• Make sure they know how to ask for help. Start by making sure they have a trusted adult to go to who respects their communication preferences and will keep what they say in confidence.
• Ensure they have self-advocacy tools. Using personal profiles and passports and other resources can help them express their rights, needs and preferences in various settings.
• Reach out for professional help. There’s no shame in asking for help. Wait times for child and adolescent mental health services (including CAMHS and National Deaf CAMHS) can be long, so we’ve also gathered a list of trusted, deaf-friendly charities and organisations that provide wellbeing support.

Supporting their mental health – and yours

As your child’s parent or carer, you are in a unique position to help support their overall emotional health and wellbeing. If you’re looking for ways to help them, particularly if there’s a long wait time for professional services, where are some things you can do:

• Create an open dialogue. Make sure your child or young person knows they can share things with you – whether that’s through a written note, an in-person conversation or even drawings. If you need to share that with another person – for example, if what they share highlights a danger to themselves or to others – be sure to explain that to them first.
• Help them build confidence and resilience. Support them as they explore their deaf identity, and help them identify and celebrate their strengths and weaknesses. Giving them opportunities to develop independence and practise gratitude can help build their confidence and resilience.
• Support their communication choices. As your child grows up, they’ll likely have opinions about which communication approach they prefer (or want to avoid). For example, if your child prefers to sign, learning some BSL can help you connect in a validating way.
• Encourage community support. Resilience and support are linked. Helping your child find supportive, deaf-friendly spaces or communities (like local groups) or read about deaf role models can help them build resilience, thrive and feel accepted.
• Contact our Helpline. As the leading organisation for childhood deafness, the friendly experts on our Helpline are skilled in being both compassionate and knowledgeable.

Supporting someone through difficult times can also be draining for you. Our information on looking after yourself goes into detail about ways to get support as a parent or carer of a deaf young person. 

If you co-parent or get support from extended family members or friends, you might want to encourage them to explore our information and advice, too.  Our Providing support: a guide for extended and friends page is a great place to start.