The Relationship between Knowing Sign Language and Quality of Life among Italian People Who Are Deaf: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Deafness is a medical condition with important relational implications. This conditioncould affect well-being and self-esteem and cause social anxiety. Sign language is not only a simplemimic but can be considered as a different kind of communication that could be protective for thosewho have learned it. However, some people do not use sign language because they think it canbe marginalizing. The present study aimed to compare the quality of life (QoL) between peoplewho learned Italian sign language as their first language with those who had never learned it orlearned it later. This cross-sectional study involved 182 deaf Italian adults (70.3% females) who wererecruited from Ente Nazionale Sordi (ENS) and by the main online deafness groups. The presentresults suggest that the deaf condition does not seem to significantly affect the dimensions of QoLpertaining to satisfaction and self-esteem, while it could have an effect on preventing high levels of social anxiety and in particular, the group who learned Italian sign language showed significantlyless social anxiety than those who had never learned it.