Recognizing Emotional Challenges of Hearing Loss

Document Type

Article

Journal/Book Title/Conference

Hearing Journal

Volume

70

Issue

1

Publisher

Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins

Publication Date

1-1-2017

First Page

718

Last Page

730

Abstract

Hearing loss is a common condition. However, many adults who could benefit from amplification do not use their hearing aids even though it could help them overcome negative consequences, such as social withdrawal, loneliness, and depression. Equally concerning, hearing aid use is highly variable among young children, compromising speech and language development outcomes. How clients are coping with emotional challenges may be a contributing factor to hearing aid usage; such challenges may go undetected by audiologists. Depression and anxiety are common mental health conditions and can interfere with effective health care management and treatment adherence; for example, when parents of children with hearing loss were experiencing symptoms of depression, their children wore hearing aids fewer hours per day than those with no depression. Stress can also impact the physical and emotional well-being of clients with hearing loss and caregivers, and may its impact be positively influenced by social support.

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