Comparison of general health status in mothers of hearing and hearing-impaired children

摘要

Background and Aim: The birth of a hearing-impaired child and raising him/her often brings special psychological feelings for parents, especially mothers who spend more time with the child. This study aimed to compare the general health status in mothers of hearing-impaired and hearing children. Methods: This was a descriptive-analytic study. General Health Questionnaire was used to identify general health status; and data were analyzed with independent-t test. Results: The general health level of mothers of hearing-impaired children was lower than mothers of normal hearing children (p=0.01 ). The average scores of anxiety (p=0.01), depression (p= 0.01) and physical (p=0.02) symptoms and social function (p=0.01) of mothers of hearing-impaired children was higher than mothers of normal hearing ones (p=0.01). Conclusion: Having a child with hearing impairment affects mothers’ general health status. Our findings show that it’s necessary to provide psychological and social support for mothers of hearing-impaired children.