Severe to profound hearing impairment: quality of life, psychosocial consequences and audiological rehabilitation.
OBJECTIVE
To study the quality of life (QoL) and psychosocial consequences in terms of sick leave and audiological rehabilitation given to patients with severe to profound hearing impairment.


METHODS
A retrospective study of data on 2319 patients with severe to profound hearing impairment in The Swedish Quality Register of Otorhinolaryngology, followed by a posted questionnaire including The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS).


RESULTS
The results indicate greater levels of anxiety and depression among patients with severe or profound hearing impairment than in the general population, and annoying tinnitus and vertigo had strong negative effects on QoL. The proportion of sick leave differed between the studied dimensions in the study. The proportion of patients who received extended audiological rehabilitation was 38% in the present study.


CONCLUSIONS
Treatment focused on anxiety, depression, tinnitus and vertigo must be given early in the rehabilitation process in patients with severe or profound hearing impairment. Because sick leave differs greatly within this group of patients, collaboration with the regional Social Insurance Agency is crucial part of the rehabilitation. The study also shows that presently, only a small proportion of patients in Sweden with severe to profound hearing impairment receive extended audiological rehabilitation. Implications for Rehabilitation Greater levels of anxiety and depression have been found among patients with severe or profound hearing impairment than in the general population, and annoying tinnitus and vertigo have strong negative effects on QoL in this group of patients. Only a small proportion of patients with severe to profound hearing impairment receive extended audiological rehabilitation today, including medical, technical and psychosocial efforts. Extended audiological rehabilitation focused on anxiety, depression, tinnitus and vertigo must be given, together with technical rehabilitation, early in the rehabilitation process in patients with severe or profound hearing impairment.
a Department of Otorhinolaryngology , Central Hospital , Karlstad , Sweden .
Per-Inge
PI
Carlsson
Jennie
J
Hjaldahl
Anders
A
Magnuson
Elisabeth
E
Ternevall
Margareta
M
Edén
Åsa
Å
Skagerstrand
Radi
R
Jönsson
D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001007:Anxiety; D012048:Correction of Hearing Impairment / Q000379:methods*; D003863:Depression; D005260:Female; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018582:Sick Leave; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden; D014012:Tinnitus; D014717:Vertigo; D055815:Young Adult
EuroQoL 5D; sick leave; the hospital anxiety and depression scale; the problems impact rating scale; tinnitus; vertigo