Impact of Hearing Loss and Rehabilitation on the Psychological Well-Being of the Elderly

Abstract

Purpose: Hearing loss in the elderly is a common disorder which range from an undetectable degree of disability to profound alteration in the ability to function in society. Hence, this study was undertaken to assess the impact of hearing loss and rehabilitation on the psychological well-being of the elderly.Method: Patients above 60 years complaining of hearing loss were evaluated for the otoscopic examination, audiological assessment, psychological assessment Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly Screening (HHIE-S) version, and Global Mental Health Assessment (GMHA) tool. Data was statistically analyzed to determine the relationship between the hearing loss and psychological affection and the benefit after use of hearing aids and rehabilitation.Results: A total of 60 males and 50 females were taken into consideration. HHIE-S showed a significant relation with the severity of hearing loss in the initial assessment and also after remedial measures. GMHA also showed a significant statistical relationship with the severity of hearing loss after initial assessment and after remedial measures.Conclusion: The significant relation of HHIE-S and GMHA with the severity of hearing loss suggest that as the hearing loss increases there is a higher probability of an individual having psychological affection causing the social and emotional situational adjustments producing depression and anxiety. It is also concluded that early remedial measures provide substantial improvement in their quality of life.