Abstract
Background: Deafblindness or dual sensory loss is a rare condition among young people, but more frequent among older people. Deafblindness is a heterogeneous condition that varies with regard to time of onset and degree of vision and hearing impairment, as well as communication mode, medical aetiology, and number and severity of co-morbidity. Method: We conducted a comprehensive review of public health issues related to deafblindness. Results: Deafblindness often lead to barriers in language and communication, access to information and social interaction, which can lead to a number of health-related difficulties. Some of the reported consequences are a higher risk of depression, cognitive decline, developmental disorder in children and psychological distress. Conclusions: Deafblindness is associated with a number of health-related issues and more knowledge is needed about the impact of dual sensory loss to be able to offer the best support.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | Scandinavian Journal of Public Health |
| Volume | 42 |
| Issue number | 7 |
| Pages (from-to) | 554–562 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| ISSN | 1403-4948 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Nov 2014 |
