Prevalence of anxiety disorders and symptoms in people with hearing impairment: a systematic review

Abstract

Purpose Anxiety disorders are common. Prevalence is likely to be raised in people with hearing impairment, who experience higher rates of associated risk factors. We conducted, to our knowledge, the first systematic review of the prevalence and correlates of anxiety in people with hearing impairment. Methods We searched electronic databases and references of included studies, using predetermined criteria to retrieve original research reporting prevalence of anxiety disorders or symptoms in adult, hearing impaired populations. We assessed risk of bias using the adapted Newcastle Ottawa Scale. Results We included 25 studies evaluating 17,135 people with hearing impairment. Community studies of higher quality reported a lifetime prevalence of anxiety disorder of 11.1% (one study) and point prevalences of 15.4-31.3% for clinically significant anxiety symptoms (five studies) in people who predominantly had acquired hearing impairment. Anxiety prevalence was higher in hearing impaired people in 8/10 studies with a comparator non-hearing impaired group. Anxiety symptoms decreased after surgical intervention for hearing in all studies investigating this. Correlates consistently associated with anxiety were tinnitus and hearing impairment severity. Conclusions Prevalence of anxiety is higher among people with hearing impairment than the general population; our findings indicate that this excess morbidity may be related to the hearing impairment itself, as it was associated with the severity of impairment, and reduced after surgical treatment. Clinicians should be aware of the potential impact of hearing on mental health, and that where hearing ability can be improved, this may reduce anxiety. Prospero registration number CRD42018088463.

Common mental illness in people with sensory impairment: results from the 2014 adult psychiatric morbidity survey

“…These findings are in keeping with multiple previous studies, which have found that both hearing and visual impairment are associated with depressive and anxiety symptomatology. 4,13,[25][26][27][28] Our finding that the difference in CIS-R score is greater in younger people might reflect the fact that younger people with sensory impairment are more likely to be different to their peers in this regard, and to miss out on opportunities throughout life. 29 It appears from our results that the association between all types of sensory impairment and common mental illness might be partially accounted for by self-perceived social functioning.…”

The relationship between mental health conditions and hearing loss in low‐ and middle‐income countries

“…Hearing loss in adults has an impact on verbal communication and increases social exclusion and the risk of development of cognitive and functional impairments, particularly among older people (≥65) [15]. Furthermore, adults with hearing loss can experience greater dependence on others, and increased vulnerability to neglect, discrimination or violence [16]. Consequently, age‐related hearing loss is often associated with sadness, feelings of low self‐worth or guilt, a loss of interest in daily activities, and disturbed appetite or sleep, which affect concentration [17,18].…”

Co-occurrence of hearing loss and posttraumatic stress disorder among injured military personnel: a retrospective study

“…Although PTSD and hearing loss both contribute significantly to the overall health burden in the military, their co-occurrence has not been widely described in the literature [20]. A VA study by Swan and colleagues was the first to suggest the association, finding that those with a diagnosis of hearing loss were more likely to have a diagnosis of PTSD [21].…”