Background. It has long been acknowledged that hearing impairment may increase the risk for psychotic experiences. Recent work suggests that young people in particular may be at risk, indicating a possible developmental mechanism.Method. The hypothesis that individuals exposed to hearing impairment in early adolescence would display the highest risk for psychotic symptoms was examined in a prospective cohort study of a population sample of originally 3021 adolescents and young adults aged 14-24 years at baseline, in Munich, Germany (Early Developmental Stages of Psychopathology Study). The expression of psychosis was assessed at multiple time points over a period of up to 10 years, using a diagnostic interview (Munich Composite International Diagnostic Interview ; CIDI) administered by clinical psychologists.Results. Hearing impairment was associated with CIDI psychotic symptoms [odds ratio (OR) 2.04, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.10-3.81], particularly more severe psychotic symptoms (OR 5.66,). The association between hearing impairment and CIDI psychotic symptoms was much stronger in the youngest group aged 14-17 years at baseline (OR 3.28, 95 % CI 1.54-7.01) than in the older group aged 18-24 years at baseline (OR 0.82, 95 % CI 0.24-2.84).Conclusions. The finding of an age-specific association between hearing impairment and psychotic experiences suggests that disruption of development at a critical adolescent phase, in interaction with other personal and social vulnerabilities, may increase the risk for psychotic symptoms.