Assessment and Treatment of Behavioral Disorders in Children with Hearing Loss: A Systematic Review

• Published in: Otolaryngology-head and neck surgery Vol. 160; no. 1; pp. 36 - 48
• Main Authors: Bigler, Diana, Burke, Kristen, Laureano, Nicholas, Alfonso, Kristan, Jacobs, Julie, Bush, Matthew L.
• Format: Book Review Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01-01-2019
• Subjects: behavioral disorders; Child; Cochlear Implantation - methods; Cochlear Implants; Comorbidity; Female; Follow-Up Studies; hearing loss; Hearing Loss - diagnosis; Hearing Loss - epidemiology; Hearing Loss - surgery; Humans; Male; Mental Disorders - diagnosis; Mental Disorders - epidemiology; Mental Disorders - therapy; Quality of Life; Risk Assessment; Severity of Illness Index; systematic review; Treatment Outcome; hearing loss; systematic review; cochlear implants; behavioral disorders
• ISSN: 0194-5998; 1097-6817
• DOI: 10.1177/0194599818797598

Objective
There is evidence that children who are deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) have a higher incidence of behavioral disorders. Assessment of behavioral health in this population is often complicated by language developmental delays, which may result in unrecognized and untreated behavioral problems. The purpose of this study is to assess the association of behavioral disorders among children who are DHH and to explore behavioral interventions for children in this population.
Data Sources
PubMed, CINALH, PsychINFO, and Web of Science.
Review Methods
Search terms included the following: problem behavior, child behavior disorders/diagnosis, child behavior disorders/psychology coupled with hearing loss, cochlear implants, hearing aids, or deafness. Studies from the last 30 years (1985-2016) were included. The articles were reviewed independently by 3 reviewers.
Results
Thirty-six articles met criteria. There was an association between internalizing behaviors and hearing loss among children, which may persist after cochlear implantation. These problems may be more pronounced for children with additional disabilities. Conduct and hyperactivity disorders as well as emotional and executive function problems among children who are DHH may be related to poor language development. There was limited evidence regarding interventions to address the behavioral disorders of DHH children.
Conclusions
There is a significant body of evidence demonstrating behavioral problems among DHH children but a lack of clear understanding of the mechanisms involved. There is limited evidence on interventions to address the behavioral problems of DHH children. Future research is warranted to mitigate the long-term effects of disruptive behavior among these children.