Hearing impaired people are more likely to be depressed

Many people know that the most obvious feeling of hearing loss is that they can’t hear or hear what others say. But it’s just the most intuitive effect, and there are subsequent complications due to hearing loss.

According to a study published in the American Medical Journal otolaryngology and head and neck surgery, hearing impairment may cause or aggravate mental illness in some people.

In the report, the researchers believe that middle-aged and elderly women are more vulnerable to such effects. Previously, people always thought that this psychological impact is related to menopause of middle-aged and elderly women. However, the new research suggests that there is a certain correlation between hearing impairment and depression in American adults, especially the statistics of middle-aged and elderly women and people under 70 who are reluctant to wear hearing aids are more obvious.

At the beginning of the study, the researchers found that there was a certain relationship between hearing impairment and depression reported in the previous literature, but these studies only focused on the elderly over 60 years old, specific noise environment, specific inbreeding race, because the results are affected by many factors, the conclusion is difficult to be convincing.

Later researchers found that in the new survey data, with hearing loss, adults tend to have depression (according to statistics, the proportion of people without hearing problems is 5%, while the proportion of people with hearing impairment is 11%).

“We found a link between hearing impairment and depression,” said Dr. Li Chuanming, a researcher at the American Academy of hearing impairment and other communication disorders. “But whether there is a causal relationship between this link, we don’t know yet, which needs further research.”

“It’s not surprising that people with hearing impairment are more likely to feel depressed,” said James Firman, chairman and chief executive of the U.S. Aging Committee. “Hearing impaired people, especially those who do not use hearing aids, will find it more difficult to communicate with others, whether at home, in social settings or in the workplace, and over time they will feel isolated.”

Robert Frisina, director of the global center for listening and language research at the University of South Florida, said that even if the study is not conclusive at present, it is still valuable because it provides strong data support for the rumors of hearing impairment and depression. In the new study, the researchers looked at data from the U.S. health and nutrition survey, which included 18000 adults aged 18 and over. Most of the young and old people report their hearing status by themselves, while some of the old people over 70 years old (with more severe hearing loss) have a hearing test. All participants completed a questionnaire designed to reveal depression.

In addition to those with very severe hearing impairment, the more severe the hearing impairment, the more severe the depression. Frisina said the young people may be used to dealing with hearing loss, so most of them don’t care.

The researchers found that hearing loss was associated with an increased risk of depression at all ages, but most significantly between the ages of 18 and 69. And women are at a higher risk of depression than men.

The association between hearing loss and depression was not found in self-report among the elderly aged 70 or over. However, this association was found in the hearing test population at this age group.

The researchers point out that women are more likely to start hearing loss after age 65, which affects conversation efficiency in noisy environments.

The researchers recommend that those who think or suspect that they have hearing problems seek the help of a audiologist or doctor. Usually family and friends will notice your hearing loss at the first time. “If you have hearing problems, you need to go to an audiologist and otolaryngologist to make an appropriate diagnosis and then choose a treatment to avoid depression caused by hearing problems,” Frisina said.

Depression is just a possible complication of hearing loss. There are many more serious symptoms, such as Alzheimer’s disease. Early detection and early treatment can effectively avoid these complications.

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