Hearing loss and disability exit: Measurement issues and coping strategies

Abstract

Standard-Nutzungsbedingungen:Die Dokumente auf EconStor dürfen zu eigenen wissenschaftlichen Zwecken und zum Privatgebrauch gespeichert und kopiert werden.Sie dürfen die Dokumente nicht für öffentliche oder kommerzielle Zwecke vervielfältigen, öffentlich ausstellen, öffentlich zugänglich machen, vertreiben oder anderweitig nutzen.Sofern die Verfasser die Dokumente unter Open-Content-Lizenzen (insbesondere CC-Lizenzen) zur Verfügung gestellt haben sollten, gelten abweichend von diesen Nutzungsbedingungen die in der dort genannten Lizenz gewährten Nutzungsrechte. Terms of use: Documents in Hearing Loss and Disability Exit: Measurement Issues and Coping StrategiesVibeke T. Christensen Nabanita Datta Gupta Martin V. Rasmussen The Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) in Bonn is a local and virtual international research center and a place of communication between science, politics and business. IZA is an independent nonprofit company supported by Deutsche Post World Net. The center is associated with the University of Bonn and offers a stimulating research environment through its research networks, research support, and visitors and doctoral programs. IZA engages in (i) original and internationally competitive research in all fields of labor economics, (ii) development of policy concepts, and (iii) dissemination of research results and concepts to the interested public. D I S C U S S I O N P A P E R S E R I E SIZA Discussion Papers often represent preliminary work and are circulated to encourage discussion. Citation of such a paper should account for its provisional character. A revised version may be available directly from the author. ABSTRACT Hearing Loss and Disability Exit: Measurement Issues and Coping StrategiesUsing unique representative data containing self-reported functional and clinically measured hearing ability for the Danish population aged 50-64, we estimate the effect of hearing loss on receipt of disability benefits accounting for potential endogeneity of functional hearing. Our identification strategy involves simultaneous estimation of labor supply, functional hearing and coping strategies i.e. using assistive devices at work or informing one's employer about the problem. We find that functional hearing disability significantly increases the likelihood of receiving disability benefits for both men and women. Using assistive devices at the work place decreases the likelihood of going on disability for both genders, whereas telling the employer about the disability increases disability-related exit for both genders, but considerably more so for women. JEL Classification:J26, I12

Key findings about hearing loss in the working-life: a scoping review from a well-being perspective

“…People with HL had, on average, longer times of unemployment and looking for work (Stam et al 2013). Concerning sick leave, studies have demonstrated a similar pattern in which sick leave was more frequently reported among those with HL (Kramer et al 2006;Pierre et al 2012;Christensen and Datta Gupta 2017), especially due to stressrelated complaints, such as fatigue, strain or burnout (Kramer et al 2006;Svinndal et al 2018). Early retirement was also reported to be more common among persons with HL (Fischer et al 2014;Helvik et al 2013), as were longer sick-leave spells (Friberg et al 2013).…”

“…A few articles focus on work organisation, i.e. the division of labour in terms of occupational categories or sectors (Hogan et al 2009;Kramer et al 2006;Coniavitis Gellerstedt and Danermark 2004;Huarte et al 2017;Christensen and Datta Gupta 2017;Boutin 2010;Schroedel and Geyer 2000). Two studies (Boutin 2010;Schroedel and Geyer 2000) compared occupational categories between a population of persons with HL and a deaf (signing and visual) population.…”

“…Some articles focus on aspects related to work organisation, such as employment rate, unemployment and/or sick leave (Fischer et al 2014;Hogan et al 2009;Kramer et al 2006;Pierre et al 2012;Jung and Bhattacharyya 2012;Svinndal et al 2018;Huarte et al 2017;Christensen and Datta Gupta 2017;Emmett and Francis 2015;Friberg et al 2013;Helvik et al 2013;Jarvelin et al 1997;Stam et al 2013). Studies on employment rate, unemployment, and sick leave for persons with HL report that HL appears to have effects on employment status.…”

“…Early retirement was also reported to be more common among persons with HL (Fischer et al 2014;Helvik et al 2013), as were longer sick-leave spells (Friberg et al 2013). However, in most studies, the employment status of employees with HL was associated with, or dependent on, intermediating factors, such as age, sex, socioeconomic status and health/comorbidities, which, together with HL, affected the employment rate (Hogan et al 2009;Christensen and Datta Gupta 2017;Stam et al 2013;Dammeyer et al 2019) and exit from the labour market for persons with HL (Fischer et al 2014). Studies have shown that hearing difficulties were significantly associated with unemployment for women with HL (Pierre et al 2012), as well as part-time work in women with HL (Hogan et al 2009;Svinndal et al 2018).…”

Genetics and Acquired Hearing Loss

“…Few studies have investigated the psychological factor and how individuals develop their lives in the presence of hearing loss. The studies reveal that maladaptive behavior (e.g., escape, avoiding social interaction and/or pretending to understand) has a negative effect on well-being of elder patients comparing to adaptive strategies (e.g., training verbal skills or self-awareness) [124,125]. Additionally, there is a significant increase of hearing aids use by cases who attend audiology clinic with a relative than others attending alone [126].…”