title: Illness perceptions and hearing difficulties in King-Kopetzky syndrome: what determines help seeking?
abstract: The present study explored illness perceptions of hearing difficulties amongst one hundred participants who reported experiencing hearing difficulties despite normal audiometric thresholds. This experience is referred to as King-Kopetzky syndrome (KKS), obscure auditory dysfunction (OAD), or auditory processing disorder (APD). Logistic regression was used to consider the associations between help-seeking and a range of audiological and illness perception measures. Results indicate that help-seekers present with poorer speech in noise thresholds than non help-seekers, and that coherent illness perceptions and a negative belief in the consequences of hearing difficulties are associated with help-seeking status, regardless of hearing sensitivity.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Hearing and Balance Studies, University of Bristol, UK. Helen.pryce@bris.ac.uk
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pryce
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Metcalfe
authors.forename: Amanda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.forename: Lindsay St
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Claire
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001299:Audiometry; D001308:Auditory Perceptual Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D001309:Auditory Threshold; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006320:Hearing Tests; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology*; D010465:Perception; D013067:Speech Perception; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013577:Syndrome