PP108 - Childhood Hearing Loss and the Family: Exploring Parental Stress and Experiences in Navigating Hearing Health Care for Their Children with Hearing Loss

Abstract:
This study examines how support from audiologists, speech-language pathologists, educators, and related professionals impacts parental stress when raising a child with hearing loss. By contrasting parental experiences and perceptions of support with their levels of stress, the research provides valuable insights into how professional guidance shapes these dynamics. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of the factors that contribute to or alleviate stress for parents of children with hearing loss. The findings aim to explore how different forms of support influence parental experiences, ultimately informing strategies to better address the needs of families navigating childhood hearing loss.

Summary:
Objectives
Our study examines factors contributing to parental stress in families raising children with hearing loss. It explores how perceived social support, socioeconomic status, hearing loss severity, and other aspects of childhood hearing loss impact parental stress levels. The research also seeks to understand whether support can reduce stress and influence the care and resources provided to families of children with hearing loss. The insights gained will help audiologists better support families.

Rationale
Parental stress is common but can be heightened in families with children who have disabilities, including hearing loss. While some studies suggest no significant difference in stress levels between parents of children with hearing loss and others, factors like social support and socioeconomic status may influence this. This study aims to clarify how these factors contribute to parental stress, providing helpful information for audiologists and related professionals to offer better support.

Design
Our survey-based study incorporates the Family Stress Scale (Quittner, 1990) to assess factors influencing parental stress, demographic questions, and questions related to hearing healthcare and related services. The survey includes both closed- and open-ended questions, allowing parents to describe stressors pertaining to support, hearing healthcare services, socioeconomic status, and the like. While no formal qualitative analysis will be conducted, themes from the open-ended responses will provide additional context for interpreting the survey data.

Results
The study is expected to show that higher perceived social support correlates with lower parental stress. It also aims to find that socioeconomic status and hearing loss severity influence stress, with families facing greater challenges experiencing higher levels of stress.

Conclusion
The study will likely confirm that supportive factors are crucial in reducing parental stress for families raising children with hearing loss. It will also highlight the role of socioeconomic factors and hearing loss severity in shaping stress. These findings will inform audiologists and other healthcare professionals on improving support and resources, potentially leading to better outcomes for families of children with hearing loss.

Instructional Level Chosen
This study is designed for a fundamental-level audience and aims to introduce basic concepts of parental stress and support for families of children with hearing loss. The focus is on helping attendees understand these families' emotional and social challenges. Audiologists and audiology students will gain insights into providing more effective support, even without specialized knowledge in the area.

Note to reviewers
The University of Central Arkansas IRB has approved study 24-184: Exploring Stress and Support: A Journey into Parenting a Child with Hearing Loss.