Adjustment and relationships between adolescents of typically developing siblings, deaf siblings, and blind siblings

Abstract

This study aimed to explore the adjustment and relationships between adolescents of typically developing siblings, deaf siblings, and blind siblings. One hundred and forty typically developing adolescents (50 adolescents of a typically developing sibling, 46 adolescents of a profoundly deaf sibling, and 44 adolescents of a profoundly blind sibling) participated in this descriptive-analytic and comparative research. Adolescents of a typically developing sibling were determined by a simple random sampling method (by chance), and adolescents of a deaf or blind sibling were determined by a convenience sampling method from high schools in Iran, Isfahan in 2022. Participants were assessed with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and Index of Sister and Brother Relations (ISR and IBR). The findings indicated that the adjustment and relationships in the adolescents of typically developing siblings were significantly better than the adolescents of deaf or blind siblings (p <.001). The internalizing problems in the adolescents of deaf siblings were significantly better than the adolescents of blind siblings (p <.001), while the externalizing problems in the adolescents of deaf siblings did not significantly differ from those of the adolescents of blind siblings (p =.12). Furthermore, problems in relationships in the adolescents of deaf siblings were significantly more than the adolescents of blind siblings (p =.03). Therefore, it seems that the implementation of preventive and intervention protocols will improve the adjustment and relationships between adolescents of deaf or blind siblings. These results reveal the necessity of early intervention in children of deaf or blind siblings and their parents. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2025.