Deaf people have difficulties with psychological care – 06/12/2023 – Health

Gabriella Roma Santos, 31, was still a child when she was accused by pediatricians of being lazy. The reason? She was slow to speak, so professionals blamed the girl’s supposed lack of motivation. In reality, she had a hearing impairment that was only identified years later through the Bera exam, used to measure hearing ability.

This inattention by the doctors affected Gabriella’s development. She also had problems identifying herself as deaf. Oralized, she used a hearing aid, but hid it with her hair. It also separated the hearing groups very well from those who were deaf. “She hid Me because she suffered from prejudice, discrimination and rejection.”

Although she still struggles with her condition, Gabriella has managed to settle down. And one of the ways to accept yourself better was access to a psychologist. “Due to the difficulty of acceptance, I started psychological therapy and over time, I began to understand the importance of accepting my deaf identity”, she says.

The way to assist a patient like Gabriella in a psychological session varies. She says that, during the sessions, she transits between speech, as she is an oral person, and Libras (Brazilian Sign Language), since the professional who assists her knows the language.

On the other hand, for those who have not been oralized, one of the only options is to find a psychologist who necessarily knows Libras – interpreters are not allowed. But the search can be painful.

“I can identify a psychological issue in a child who uses Libras and not find [um profissional] in my city. Even in São Paulo, it is difficult to find a psychologist who works in Libras”, says Beatriz Novaes, superintendent of Derdic (Division of Education and Rehabilitation of Communication Disorders), a center that has two psychologists who work with deaf children or those with hearing loss through of Pounds.

One of these professionals in the division is Maria Tereza Muratori. Her initial contact with sign language occurred when she went to work at a school that attended to deaf or deaf and blind children.

She didn’t master the language, but over time she learned and has been directly involved in the area since 1997. She says that, in addition to Libras, she needed to understand what deafness can cause in a person. “There are many things that a person with hearing loss lives, different from us.”

Psychologist Ana Tereza Marques says that deaf people usually have more difficulty communicating with other people, because everyday communication is mostly oral.

“How is her neurological development, when she is frequently excluded? What is the impact of social exclusion on that person’s sense of belonging, as a member of society who is unable to exercise her rights and role?”, she says.

Deaf, Marques is another professional who works with patients with hearing difficulties. She says that she observes a constant demand for her Libras therapy service and that there are positive results, but there is still a lack of data on how many professionals meet this type of psychological demand.

Marques is a coordinating counselor of the communication commission of the São Paulo Regional Council of Psychology (CRP SP) and says that there is no consolidated survey of the number of psychologists who work with Libras in the state. The Secretary of State for Health said that psychological care is the responsibility of the municipality.

The Municipal Secretary of Health of the capital of São Paulo reported that it has the Libras Intermediation Center (CIL), a body that helps people with speech and hearing disabilities access public services. He also stated that he provides training for civil servants who wish to learn Libras, but did not answer how many psychologists master sign language in the municipal network.

A Sheet sought the Ministry of Health and the CFP (Federal Council of Psychology), but both did not respond to contact.

OTHER DEMANDS

Maria Tereza Murator tells that it is very common for there to be a mediator between the deaf person and a psychologist. “It is a demand that normally comes from the family and are very specific situations.”

The scenario can be a barrier for some deaf people to access psychological therapy. Another dilemma is that, in many cases, it is not thought that a person with hearing impairment needs therapeutic follow-up.

“Perhaps there is no clarity that you need this type of service [de um psicólogo]because the difficulties that arise, what can appear in the patient who has a hearing loss is […] treated as the issue of deafness”, says Muratori.

Referral to a speech therapist, for example, is much more common. For the psychologist, the ideal is a service on multiple fronts if the need is seen.

But for some deaf people, finding therapeutic care can be even more difficult. It is the case of those who do not know Libras and are not oral. Another situation is the deaf who also have vision difficulties.

In cases like this, it is necessary to adapt the environment so that the patient can see the signs made with the hands. The color of the background of the place and the clothes, for example, need to be considered to create an adequate contrast that facilitates visualization.

Other cases are those who have total loss of vision, where tactile contact is normally a requirement. The person touches the hand of the person who is communicating through Libras in order to feel and understand the movements.