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International Journal of Audiology Volume 60, 2021 - Issue sup2: Hearing health in the broader context of healthy living and well-being: changing the narrative
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Original Articles

Audiological approaches to address the psychosocial needs of adults with hearing loss: perceived benefit and likelihood of use

Rebecca J. Bennetta Ear Science Institute Australia, Subiaco, WA, Australia;b Medical School, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia;c School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, AustraliaCorrespondence[email protected]
ORCID Iconhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-9427-5539
ORCID Icon,
Caitlin Barrd Soundfair, Melbourne, VIC, AustraliaORCID Iconhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-0855-1064
ORCID Icon,
Alex Cortisa Ear Science Institute Australia, Subiaco, WA, Australia;b Medical School, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
,
Robert H. Eikelbooma Ear Science Institute Australia, Subiaco, WA, Australia;b Medical School, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia;e Department of Speech Language Pathology and Audiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South AfricaORCID Iconhttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-2911-5381
ORCID Icon,
Melanie Fergusonf National Acoustic Laboratories, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, AustraliaORCID Iconhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-8096-869X
ORCID Icon,
Daniel Geracea Ear Science Institute Australia, Subiaco, WA, Australia;b Medical School, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, AustraliaORCID Iconhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-9244-823X
ORCID Icon,
Eithne Heffernang Discipline of General Practice, Clinical Science Institute, School of Medicine, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, IrelandORCID Iconhttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-4485-7658
ORCID Icon,
Louise Hicksonc School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, AustraliaORCID Iconhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-6832-4173
ORCID Icon,
Lisette van Leeuwenh Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Ear & Hearing, Amsterdam Public Health research institute, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
,
Joseph Montanoi Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
,
Jill E. Premingerj Program in Audiology, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY, USA;k Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USAORCID Iconhttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-0202-3292
ORCID Icon,
Marieke Pronkh Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Ear & Hearing, Amsterdam Public Health research institute, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, NetherlandsORCID Iconhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-8472-4900
ORCID Icon,
Gabrielle H. Saundersl Manchester Centre for Audiology and Deafness, School of Health Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UKORCID Iconhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-9997-0845
ORCID Icon,
Gurjit Singhm Phonak Canada, Mississauga, ON, Canada;n Department of Psychology, Ryerson University, Toronto, ON, Canada;o Department of Speech-Language Pathology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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Barbra H. B. Timmerc School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia;p Sonova AG, Staefa, SwitzerlandORCID Iconhttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-2753-3491
ORCID Icon,
Barbara Weinsteinq Graduate Centre, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
&
Sandra Bellekoma Ear Science Institute Australia, Subiaco, WA, Australia;b Medical School, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, AustraliaORCID Iconhttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-4047-9098
ORCID Icon show all
Pages 12-19 | Received 24 Aug 2020, Accepted 15 Oct 2020, Published online: 11 Nov 2020
 
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Abstract

Objective

To explore the perceived benefit and likely implementation of approaches used by audiologists to address their adult clients’ psychosocial needs related to hearing loss.

Design

Adults with hearing loss and audiologists completed separate, but related, surveys to rate their perceived benefit and also their likely use of 66 clinical approaches (divided over seven themes) that aim to address psychosocial needs related to hearing loss.

Study sample

A sample of 52 Australian adults with hearing loss, and an international sample of 19 audiologists.

Results

Overall, participants rated all of the approaches highly on both benefit and likelihood of use; the highest ranked theme was Providing Emotional Support. Cohort comparisons showed that audiologists ranked the approaches significantly higher than did adults with hearing loss. Overall, participants ranked the themes higher on benefit than on the likelihood to use scales.

Conclusions

Adults with hearing loss and audiologists recognise the importance of approaches that address the psychosocial impacts of hearing loss in audiological rehabilitation. However, both groups placed slightly greater value on the internal-based approaches (the clients own emotional response, empowerment, and responsibility), and slightly less emphasis on the external-based approaches (being supported by communication partners, support groups or other health professionals).

Acknowledgements

The authors thank the Ear Science Institute Australia for assisting with participant recruitment and participants for their time.

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. Barbra Timmer and Gurjit Singh are employed in research capacities by Sonova AG.

The authors thank Sonova AG, Switzerland for providing funding this project.

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