Hearing Loss & Depression
Improving Mental Well-Being Through Better Hearing
Hearing loss is no longer considered a clinically inconsequential result of growing older. Difficulty hearing can have major impacts on an individual's ability to fully participate in society and can adversely affect quality of life." In fact, compared to other medical comorbidities, hearing loss is among the chronic health conditions more strongly associated with the development of depression in older adults."
A Significant Stressor
Hearing loss disrupts the ability to interact with others, making an individual feel disconnected from the rest of the world. For many, losing the ability to hear represents a significant Ioss. In a study published in Clinical Interventions of Aging, researchers presented evidence that clearly associated hearing loss with clinically relevant depressive symptoms. The study found that individuals with mild age-related hearing loss were nearly twice as likely as people with normal hearing to have clinically significant symptoms of depression. Those with severe hearing loss had a four times greater risk.
Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers found that older adults with hearing loss were 57 percent more likely to have deep episodes of stress, depression or bad mood (for more than 10 days).
Even when taking into account health conditions and other factors, including vision problems, hearing loss was significantly associated with depression in both men and women, although the prevalence was higher in women." Another separate study found that the likelihood for developing depression increased by five percent with every drop in incremental hearing ability for adults under age 70.
Social Isolation & Loneliness
A growing body of evidence suggests that depression in people with hearing loss may be attributed to hearing impairment or accentuated by it.
Older adults with hearing loss may feel frustration or embarrassment over their difficulty communicating. This can lead to withdrawal from social situations, resulting in isolation and loneliness Untreated hearing loss significantly increases the odds of being emotionally lonely.
To avoid feelings of stress, anxiety and embarrassment about their hearing loss, people may limit their interactions with others and make feelings of depression worse. This self-enforced isolation compounds the effects of hearing loss and depression, intensifying loneliness.
A growing body of evidence suggests that depression ln people with hearing loss may be attributed to hearing Impairment or accentuated by it.
Improving Quality of Life
Early recognition of hearing loss could lead to interventions, including hearing aid use, that reduce depression and improve quality of life.
A study published in Geriatric Gerontology reported the positive effects of hearing aids on reducing depression. During a six-month period of hearing aid use, researchers observed a reduction in depressive symptoms with general health, vitality, social function, emotional stability and mental health all changing for the better.
A study by the National Council on Aging of 2,304 people with hearing loss found that those who didn't wear hearing aids were 50 percent more likely to suffer from sadness or depression than people who did wear hearing aids. People who used hearing aids were also more inclined to engage in social activities on a regular basis.
In a 2013 study using the NHANES data, researchers found regular hearing aid use was independently associated with reduced odds of major depressive disorder and any depressive symptoms. The use of hearing aids cut the depression rate by around 40%, compared to non-hearing aid users.