Psychological well-being of adults with acquired hearing impairment.
OBJECTIVE
To study psychological well-being (health-related quality of life) in a population of adults 20 years and over with hearing impairment (HI) and its relation to audiological factors, consequences of the HI, sense of humour, and use of communication strategies.


METHODS
Consecutive adults (n = 343) at the outpatient Unit of Audiology of a Norwegian university hospital answered the Psychological General Well-being inventory (PGWB), Hearing Disability and Handicap Scale (HDHS), Sense of Humour Questionnaire-6 (SHQ-6), and Communication Strategies Scale (CSS) in relation to an audiological examination and medical consultation.


RESULTS
Mean PGWB index for the whole sample was 81.4 (SD 14.3) and females reported a significantly lower psychological well-being. In multiple linear regression analyses well-being was negatively associated with high levels of activity limitation and participation restriction. PGWB index was positively associated with high sense of humour, but was neither explained by audiological factors nor use of communication strategies.


CONCLUSIONS
Psychological well-being was associated with the outcome of a standard HI assessment of activity limitation and participation restriction, but not with degree of HI and use of communication strategies.
Helvik
Anne-Sofie
AS
Ear, Nose and Throat Department, St Olav's University Hospital of Trondheim, Norway. Anne-Sofie.Helvik@ntnu.no
Jacobsen
Geir
G
Hallberg
Lillemor R-M
LR
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003142:Communication; D005260:Female; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009664:Norway; D019986:Persons with Hearing Disabilities / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D011788:Quality of Life; D014925:Wit and Humor as Topic