Acquired hearing loss: Association with social isolation and depression in adults > 50 years in Tasmania

<p>Background</p> <p>Acquired hearing loss (HL) in adult life is one of the most prevalent health conditions and, if untreated, a significant risk factor for dementia. This study aimed to explore the association between acquired HL and social isolation, anxiety, and depression. </p> <p> </p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample of Australian residents aged 50 years or over (n = 7,442) between October 2020 and March 2022. Regression analysis was used to assess the association between acquired HL and social isolation, anxiety, depression, and the size of supportive social networks.</p> <p> </p> <p>Results</p> <p>A total of 1,274 participants (17.1%) had acquired HL. Males were more likely to have HL, with 46.0% in the HL group and 46.2% in the HLcorrected group being male, compared to 25% in the No-HL group. HL was significantly associated with both size of supportive social network (F (2,7362) = 4.9, p =.007) and support (F (2,7362) = 11.5, p =.001). There was a significant difference between No-HL and HL groups (corrected or uncorrected) on the supportiveness sub-scale of the Lubben Social Networks Scale (LSNS-18), p = .03, with little numerical difference between uncorrected and corrected HL groups, 8.4 (SD 2.8) and 8.8 (SD 2.6), respectively. Uncorrected HL was also significantly associated with both anxiety (F (2,7362) = 15.4, p < .001) and depression (F (2,7362) = 11.0, p < .001).</p> <p> </p> <p>Discussion/Conclusion </p> <p>Untreated HL is a significant contributor to mental health symptoms and poor social isolation, compounding the risk for dementia. Hearing aid use mitigates some of these effects, but much remains to be done to address this issue and decrease dementia risk.</p>