Coping with age-related hearing loss: patient-caregiver dyad effects on quality of life

Abstract

Background and aims Patients with age -related hearing loss (ARHL) and their natural caregivers have to confront a disability that produces progressive lifestyle changes. There is an interest in studying the ability of patients and their caregivers to cope with the difficulties that affect quality of life (QoL). In a sample of patient-caregiver dyads in the specific context of ARHL, we examine whether the QoL of patients and caregivers is influenced by the coping processes they use from a specific actor–partner interdependence model (APIM). Methods This cross-sectional study involved dyads with patients having a diagnosis of ARHL. The self-reported data included QoL (WHOQoL-BREF) and coping strategies (BriefCope). The APIM was used to test the dyadic effects of coping strategies on QoL. Results A total of 448 dyads were included; the patients and caregivers were love partners for 59% of the dyads. Coping strategies, such as social support, avoidance, problem solving, and positive thinking, exhibited evidence of actor effects (degree to which the individual’s coping strategies are associated with their own QoL). Effects on the partner (degree to which the individual’s coping strategies are associated with the QoL of the other member of the dyad) were found, i.e., when the patients mobilized their coping strategy based on social support and problem-solving, their caregivers reported higher environmental QoL. Conclusion This study emphasizes that the QoL for patients and their caregivers was directly related to the coping strategies they used. This finding suggests that targeted interventions should be offered to help patients and their relatives to implement more effective coping strategies. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12955-019-1161-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Importance of personality and coping expectancy on patient-reported hearing disability, quality of life and distress level: a study of patients referred to an audiology service

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Cognitive Appraisal, Dispositional Coping, and Posttraumatic Growth among Patient–Caregiver Dyads Undergoing Hemodialysis

“…In the present study, the dispositional coping of patients and family caregivers was positively associated with the PTG of patients. A study by Lazzarotto et al (2019) in other patient populations also found that family caregivers’ coping styles affected the physical and psychological health of patients with age-related hearing loss. The possible reason may be that patient–caregiver dyads who know each other well and who encounter the same problems are inclined to cope with it in similar ways, and ultimately affected each other’s outcome (Lazzarotto et al, 2019).…”

Nonverbal synchrony in subjects with hearing impairment and their significant others

“…Coping strategies, which dyads use, seem to be directly related with QoL of the PHI and their partners. Targeted interventions are proposed to help PHI and their partners to implement more effective coping strategies (Blazer and Tucci, 2019 ; Lazzarotto et al, 2019 ).…”