Mothers' emotional experiences related to their child's diagnosis of deafness and cochlear implant surgery: Parenting stress and child's language development

Objectives: The present study aims to assess the emotional experiences, specifically parenting stress, of mothers of children with cochlear implants (CIs), and their children's language development before surgery and at three and six months after CI activation. Methods: Twenty mothers of children with CIs were interviewed before their children's surgery about their experiences in connection with the diagnosis of deafness, the surgery and the activation of the Cl. The Parenting Stress Index questionnaire and the MacArthur-Bates-Communication Development Inventory were administered before the surgery and at 3 and 6 months after the CI activation. Results: Analysis of the qualitative data resulting from the interviews showed that the mothers' emotional experiences before the CI surgery were complex. Mothers reported both positive and negative emotions related to deafness, diagnosis and surgery, benefits of the CI, coping strategies and future expectations. The mothers of children with more advanced lexical production six months after CI activation displayed a high frequency of themes related to positive emotions, thoughts and coping strategies before the surgery. Distress on the part of the mothers, perceptions of difficulties in their child and instances of parent-child dysfunctional interaction were negatively and significantly related to the child's language and communication development. Conclusions: The findings support the importance of assessing the mother's emotional experience in relation to diagnosis and CI activation before the surgery. Implications for clinical practice are discussed: specifically, the importance of the support offered to the parents, aimed at enhancing both their awareness of their expectations about their child's rehabilitation process and their self-efficacy in supporting the child's adaptation to the use of the CL