Parental Anxiety and Influential Factors in the Family with Hearing Impaired Children: Before and After Cochlear Implantation

Objective: As a parent of a child whose hearing is impaired, it is normal to feel frustrated, challenged or anxious. However, currently, most of children with hearing impairment can find a remedy for their disability through early diagnosis and early rehabilitation with hearing aids or cochlear implant, and so parents could feel shed light on the disability of their child. Nothwithstanding, the level of anxiety may also vary according to personality and socio-demographic properties of parents. It is also assumed that mothers will be more anxious than fathers, because the mother serves primary caretaker of the child. Materials and Methods: In this prospective study, anxiety level of 25 parents who have hearing impaired children that underwent cochlear implantation was compared before and after cochlear implantation by giving them Beck Anxiety Inventory. In addition, personality and socio-demographic properties that contribute to anxiety levels were investigated using by Revised Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-Abbreviated, Cope Inventory, Penn State Worry Questionnaire and Problem Solving Inventory. Results: Mothers were more anxious and neurotic, and their anxiety levels were correlated with neuroticism. Mothers' and fathers' anxiety levels were significantly decreased after cochlear implantation. We did not find statistically significant correlation between anxiety levels and socio-demographic characteristics of mothers, but the results were slightly different for fathers. Conclusion: Anxiety is common in families with hearing impaired children, and the level of anxiety may vary according to family dynamics. However cochlear implant can be a solution to reduce the level of concern.