Socioemotional development in children and adolescents with hearing impairment: A systematic review

Introduction: The socio-emotional development of children and adolescents with hearing impairment has been associated with differences in linguistic development and its impact on peer interactions. However, empirical evidence is inconsistent regarding the factors explaining variability in socio-emotional development in this population. This systematic review examines the evidence on the individual and contextual factors involved in socio-emotional development in children and adolescents with hearing impairment. Method: The Preferred Information Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guide (Prisma), the Spider search tool and a search equation based on Boolean operators and keywords are used for its development. A search is carried out in the Scopus, Dialnet, Scielo, and Redalyc databases. Results: A total of 26 articles met the eligibility criteria. The results show that the individual factors frequently associated with socioemotional development in the studied population are linguistic/communicative skills, cochlear implant use, age, and time of implantation. At a contextual level, the factors are family structure or dynamics and participation in extracurricular activities. Conclusions: Early language acquisition and the contexts of daily social interaction with peers or parents can make a positive difference in the socio-emotional development of this population.