Emotional and behavioral difculties among children and adolescents with cochlear implants

In most industrial nations, the rate of pediatric cochlear implantation (CI) has improved to the point where it is now the biggest response to profound and, gradually more, severe babyhood deafness. Objective: To nd emotional and behavioral difculties among children and adolescents with cochlear implants Centre Pakistan Cochlear Implant Program in Bahria Town Lahore. Methods: It was a cross-sectional study with 68 children and adolescents with cochlear implants, (37 males and 31 females), participated. All participants were 6 to 17 years old and were using cochlear implants more than 2 years. Data were collected from parents or guardian of participants through the Strength and Difculties Questionnaire parental or guardian version (4-17 years), from Audiology Centre Pakistan Cochlear Implant Program in Bahria Town Lahore. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 20.0. An independent sample t test was conducted to assess differences between male and female participants, p-value less than 0.05 was considered as signicant. Results: It was found that there was a signicant difference in mean psychosocial difculties, emotional problems and conduct problems among male and female children and adolescents with cochlear implants. But there was no signicant gender difference in participants at hyperactivity, peer problems and prosocial behavior. Conclusions: That male and female had signicant difference in emotional and behavioral difculties. Males had higher mean psychosocial difculties and more emotional and conduct problems than females. Key Words: Children, adolescents, cochlear implants, emotional and behavioral difculties