140
Views
4
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Articles

Life consequences and positive experiences reported by communication partners of people with hearing impairment: A pilot study

&
 

Abstract

The aim of this study was to obtain insights into the life consequences and positive experiences reported by the communication partners (CPs) of person with hearing impairment (PHI). Open-ended questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine CPs who were recruited through the Swansea Hard of Hearing Support Group. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The results identified a number of life consequences and positive experiences of CPs and PHIs as reported by the CPs. The main life consequences experienced by both CPs and PHIs were related to communication and psychological aspects. The main positive experiences for the CPs were related to personal development and improved relationships and for PHIs were related to the use of hearing loss for self-advantage. Surprisingly, most of the participants were able to identify at least one positive experience. The study also suggested that open-ended questionnaires were a good way to understand life consequences and positive experiences by CPs and such responses can be further elicited by providing some prompts through a semi-structured interview. The study method and results could be useful in involving CPs in audiological enablement/rehabilitation sessions. These findings add to the growing literature that reported positive experiences can be used during counseling sessions, to motivate the PHIs and their CPs and to boost their positive morale.

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to acknowledge the participants for their time. This study was partially funded by the Oticon Foundation.

Reprints and Corporate Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

To request a reprint or corporate permissions for this article, please click on the relevant link below:

Academic Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

Obtain permissions instantly via Rightslink by clicking on the button below:

If you are unable to obtain permissions via Rightslink, please complete and submit this Permissions form. For more information, please visit our Permissions help page.