Low literacy levels among individuals who are deaf as well as a dearth of clinicians who are fluent in sign language make it difficult to use either traditional psychiatric testing methods or pencil and paper versions with deaf clients. Current testing practices using tests that have not been validated for deaf persons may contribute to misdiagnoses among this group. To address this issue, the Diagnostic Interview Schedule-IV (DIS-IV) has been translated into American Sign Language (ASL) and adapted for use with individuals who are Deaf for self-administration on laptop(ONE WORD) computer. This instrument has been named the Diagnostic Interview Schedule-IV for use with Individuals who are Deaf (DDIS-IV). Preliminary data will be collected from field tests comparing diagnoses derived from the self-administered DDIS-IV and diagnoses derived from a mental health clinician fluent in ASL using a computer assisted version of the DDIS-IV. Results from preliminary analysis of the data will be shared focusing specifically on the validity of the DDIS-IV as a mental health diagnostic instrument.
Learning Objectives: Participants will: 1) Understand issues which make mental health examinations of Deaf individuals difficult. 2) Learn methods for translating a standardized mental health instrument into American Sign Language. 3) Learn about the validity of the new Deaf mental health instrument as compared to clinician diagnoses
Keywords: Deaf, Mental Health
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.