How Hearing Aids Can Improve Depressive Symptoms

Struggling with hearing loss effects much more than our ability to hear. It can transcend to other realms of our lives, impacting our relationships, ability to work, and even our overall health. Studies have shown that untreated hearing loss may cause rapid cognitive decline, leading to dementia. On top of all of that, hearing loss is also linked to depression. Treating hearing loss, especially with hearing aids, could exponentially improve depressive symptoms.

Depressive Symptoms

More than fourteen million Americans are affected by depressive disorders each year. Depression can impact people of all ages. Signs of depression include fatigue, loss of appetite or overeating, sudden changes in mood, and isolation. If you or a loved one has been showing signs of withdrawal, anxiety, or discouragement, these may be indicators of depressive symptoms. Individuals may feel worthless, helpless, and hopeless, often impacting their overall quality of life.

Hearing Loss Associated with Depression

It doesn’t come as a surprise as to how untreated hearing loss could lead to depression. Those facing untreated hearing loss go through everyday conversations unable to fully communicate and engage with friends and family. This often leads to social isolation where the lack of human connection and relationships can impact mental and emotional health. President of the National Council on Aging, James Firman, reiterates this idea as he points out that “people with hearing loss, especially those who don’t use hearing aids, find it more difficult to communicate with other people, whether in family situations, social gatherings or at work.”

Within the scientific community, it has been long known the correlation between hearing loss and the risk for depression. A study in the Ageing Research Reviews reveals that hearing loss is the most common chronic condition associated with older adults. Other studies surrounding the same literature all concluded the correlation between hearing loss and depressive symptoms due to heightened social isolation, loneliness, a greater dependence on a caregiver, and a poorer quality of life.

Better Hearing Helps

Hearing loss often happens gradually, so the earlier you identify hearing loss, the better. The longer it goes untreated, people may face cognitive decline, social isolation, and can point to an even larger problem: depression. In the case of untreated hearing loss leading to depression, better hearing does really help.

In a joint study conducted by Johns Hopkins University, University of Oklahoma College of Medicine and Drexel University, researchers sought out to explore the association between treatment with a hearing aid or cochlear implant with depressive symptoms in older adults. The 133 participants, aged 50 years and older, were fitted either with hearing aids or provided cochlear implants and their depressive symptoms were measured.

The results showed that there was significant improvement in depressive symptoms at 6 months after treatment for patients receiving cochlear implants and hearing aids. Those fitted with hearing instruments showed a 28% decrease in the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), while those with cochlear implants saw a decrease by 31%. The findings of the study offer hope that older adults with hearing loss who are suffering from depressive symptoms may see improvement in their condition when using hearing aids or cochlear implants.

It is important that you stay aware of signs of hearing loss. If a friend or family member identifies a particular hearing problem they notice about you, consider their concern. Often times, other people are able to notice the problem when you yourself do not.

Orange County Physicians’ Hearing Services

If you or a loved one has been struggling to hear, or are concerned that your hearing loss is impacting your mental and emotional health, reach out to Orange County Physicians’ Hearing Services for a hearing test. We will be able to help you get to the root of the problem, and our professional staff will be able to see if hearing loss is contributing to your depression. If your depression is linked to hearing loss, the best thing you can do is to find the solution to treat your hearing loss. Our hearing specialists will help you find the perfect hearing instrument that will improve your communication with friends and family, rejuvenate your level of confidence in social situations, and improve your overall quality of life.