It is estimated that more than 800 000 Australian Deaf and hard of hearing people experience mental illness some time in their life.
At a minimum, Deaf people experience a prevalence of mental illness equal to that of the hearing population, with some evidence suggesting children with hearing loss are one and a half to two times more vulnerable to mental health problems compared to hearing children.
Consensus Statement on Mental Health and Deafness. See it Through Deaf Eyes: Healthy Deaf Minds. Deaf Children Australia 2010.