Long-term subjective loneliness in adults after hearing loss treatment

Abstract

Objective: While hearing loss is associated with loneliness, the long term impact of hearing loss interventions remains unknown. We investigated levels of loneliness in adults at baseline, 6-months, 1-year and 5-years after receiving a hearing aid (HA) or cochlear implant (CI).

Design: In this 5-year follow-up to the Studying Multiple Outcomes after Aural Rehabilitative Treatment study, participants completed the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Loneliness Scale at baseline, 6-months, 1-year, and 5-year time points. Generalized estimating equations modeled the population average UCLA score over time.

Study Sample: Analytic cohort of 115 participants (74% of original 156) 50 years or older who received a HA or CI at baseline and completed at least one follow up visit.

Results: Loneliness scores were not different at 5 years versus baseline for HA users. CI users showed significantly reduced loneliness at 6-months and 1-year from baseline and with no significant difference at 5 years.

Conclusion: Over 5 years, we observed no increase in loneliness from baseline in a cohort of adults receiving HAs and CIs. Short-term reduction in loneliness in CI users was demonstrated. Future randomized trials are needed to definitively assess the impact of treated versus untreated hearing loss on loneliness.

Keywords:

• Hearing loss
• loneliness
• hearing aid
• cochlear implant
• UCLA Loneliness Scale

Disclosure statement

Frank R. Lin has been a consultant to Boeringher-Ingelheim, Amplifon, and Cochlear Ltd. The other authors report no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by grant K23DC011279 from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorder and the Eleanor Schwartz Charitable Foundation.