Factors Associated with Depressive Symptoms in the Elderly with Hearing Impairment

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine factors associated with depressive symptoms in the elderly with hearing impairment.Methods: We studied 23 hearing-impaired elderly persons aged 60 years or older. The participants underwent audiometric, neuropsychological, and depression assessments. Neuropsychological tests were subsumed in specific cognitive domains (general cognition, semantic memory, processing speed, executive function). The short version of the geriatric depression scale was administered to obtain depressive symptom scores for each subject.Results: First, among audiometric variables, the pure-tone threshold average, sentence-in-noise recognition scores, and hearing handicap scores were significantly correlated with the depressive symptom scores. Second, among neuropsychological variables, the reaction time on the part A of the Korean version of trail making test for the elderly (K-TMT-E), which is reflective of processing speed, was correlated with the depressive symptom scores. Also, the reaction time on the part B of the K-TMT-E, which is reflective of executive function, was correlated with the depressive symptom scores. Lastly, in the stepwise regression analysis, the pure-tone threshold average and the reaction time on the part B of the K-TMT-E were found to be factors significantly associated with depressive symptom scores.Conclusion: Our findings suggest that, for the hearing-impaired elderly, hearing threshold levels and executive function, especially cognitive flexibility are significant factors associated with depression levels.

Social isolation and its influencing factors among age-related hearing loss patients: A cross-sectional study

“…This study similarly also found patients' subjective hearing handicap level to be a predictor of .60 Adjusted R 2 .58 social isolation. These results indicate that a significant subjective hearing handicap in daily life increases social isolation and can lead to the development of psychological issues such as depression, [22] which indicates an urgent need for measures to mitigate age-related hearing loss patients' communication difficulties in various environments. In this study, experience using hearing aids was a predictor of social isolation, and social isolation was higher among those who did not have experience using hearing aids than among those who did.…”

“…The proper use of hearing aids can compensate for hearing loss as well as prevent further deterioration of patients' ability to hear. [22,23] Therefore, the use of hearing aids is expected to substantially reduce the degree to which older adults with hearing loss experience social isolation. This study has limited applicability for generalizing the findings since it was conducted with patients at a single university hospital only.…”

“…The proper use of hearing aids can compensate for hearing loss as well as prevent further deterioration of patients’ ability to hear. [22,23] Therefore, the use of hearing aids is expected to substantially reduce the degree to which older adults with hearing loss experience social isolation.…”

“…In a recent study by Lee et al, [22] older adults who had a greater subjective hearing handicap, even when they had the same level of hearing loss, were more sensitive to negative emotional responses such as depression. This study similarly also found patients’ subjective hearing handicap level to be a predictor of social isolation.…”