Examining the relationship of stigma and wellbeing in D/deaf adults v1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Examining the relationship between stigma and wellbeing in D/deaf adults
IRAS ID
350621
Contact name
Cerian Jackson
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Liverpool
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 11 months, 25 days
Research summary
This research aims to explore associations between stigma and wellbeing in D/deaf people. Stigma has been indicated as a fundamental cause of health inequalities. Evidence suggests many D/deaf people feel stigmatised and believe others think about them negatively. Here, a capital ‘D’ denotes individuals who identify as part of the Deaf community, use sign-language and are embedded in Deaf culture. A lower case ‘d’ describes individuals who experience their deafness as an audiological condition.
Understanding more about the relationship between stigma and wellbeing in Deaf and deaf people is vital, as both groups face unique health inequalities that can affect their wellbeing. D/deaf people experience numerous problems with accessing health information and health care services because of their unique language and communication modalities. This makes it harder for D/deaf people to reach out for support and makes them less likely to seek help for their physical and mental health. As such, understanding the role stigma may have in contributing to poorer psychological wellbeing in D/deaf people remains an important research area. By examining both Deaf and deaf communities, this research aims to capture the nuanced and diverse experiences across these groups and examine how intersectional stigma affects D/deaf individuals wellbeing.
Participants will be recruited from community and NHS health care services using purposive snowballing sampling. Eligible participants are over 18, have capacity to consent and identify as either Deaf or deaf. Online questionnaires will be employed to capture experiences of stigma, wellbeing and demographic factors. Measures will be collected at one time point.
It is hoped findings will inform meaningful recommendations to facilitate the reduction of health inequalities D/deaf people experience and contribute to guidance and policy on how stigma may be experienced and perpetuated.
REC name
South West - Cornwall & Plymouth Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
25/SW/0073
Date of REC Opinion
14 Aug 2025
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion