Bipolar Disorder and the Deaf
The research literature states that bipolar disorders are common and frequently under diagnosed in deaf patients. Deaf patients with bipolar disorder exhibit classic symptoms of bipolar disorder through changes in their signing behaviors. There are over 20 million hearing impaired people in the United States.
- It is often difficult for mental health professionals to diagnose deaf patients with bipolar disorder as the assessment process requires verbal communication.
- The research literature has cited that many deaf people have a fear of being incorrectly committed because they are unable to communicate with mental health staff.
- There is little published evidence on how to approach diagnosis of deaf patients with bipolar disorder.