Based on the linked outcome measures, communication as a research topic is subordinated to other research topics. The same conclusion can be drawn for research targeting the social and attitudinal environment of adults with HL. Difficulties in the linking procedure were highlighted and discussed, and suggestions for future revisions of the ICF from the audiological perspective were described.

Introduction The objectives of the study reported here were to describe the physical and psychological health of persons with Usher syndrome Type II (USH2) and to explore any differences in terms of gender. Methods The participants were recruited from the Swedish Usher database. In the first step, 122 persons received the questionnaire by mail, and 96 (aged 18–84, with a mean age of 55, 53% of whom were female) agreed to participate. The Health on Equal Terms questionnaire was used, which covered such items as health, living conditions, and social relationships. Results for the participants with USH2 were compared to those of a reference group of 5,738 persons who were drawn from a random sample of the Swedish population retrieved from the Swedish Public Health Institute. The odds ratio (adjusted for gender and age), and its 95% confidence interval were calculated. Results The participants with USH2 reported that their physical and psychological health was significantly poorer than that of the Swedish reference group. They revealed major problems involving headache, fatigue, depression, suicidal thoughts, and suicide attempts. For the male participants, the psychological differences were even more marked than those of the male reference group. Discussion The identification of factors associated with physical and psychological health and well-being is important for the design of future rehabilitation strategies for people with USH2. Special focus must be placed on the psychological well-being of men with USH2. Implications for practitioners The management of rehabilitation services for persons with USH2 calls for interdisciplinary teamwork to provide adequate resources to cope with the physical and psychological health issues demonstrated in this study.

Trust, ontological security, and social recognition are discussed in relation to self-identity among people with acquired deafblindness. To date the phenomenon has not been elaborated in the context of deafblindness. When a person with deafblindness interacts with the social and material environment, the reliability, constancy, and predictability of his or her relations is crucial for maintaining or achieving ontological security or a general and fairly persistent feeling of well-being. When these relations fundamentally change, the impact on ontological security will be very negative. The construction of social recognition through the interaction between the self and others is embodied across three dimensions: at the individual level, at the legal systems level, and at the normative or value level. The relationship between trust and ontological security on the one hand and social recognition on the other hand is discussed. It is argued that these basic processes affecting personality development have to be identified and acknowledged in the interactions people with deafblindness experience. Some implications for the rehabilitation of people with acquired deafblindness are presented and illustrated.