Mental health and hearing impairment - A German survey

Introduction Only few international studies have focused on mental diseases among the hearing-impaired population. However, Fellinger et al. (2012) underline the high discrepancy between the current and future demand of mental treatment and the simultaneous impeded access to health care. Aims The aim of this multicenter project is to conduct the first analysis of mental diseases among the hearing-impaired population in Germany in order to quantify and qualify the specific demands of treatment. Objectives In order to achieve this aim, we compiled an extensive questionnaire battery. Methods This questionnaire battery measured sociodemographic data, non-verbal intelligence, quality of life, perception and suffering from stress, psychosomatic symptoms as well as personality traits. Results Our three samples consisted of 21 hearing-impaired patients with a history of mental diseases (EG-HI), 21 hearing-impaired subjects without mental diseases (CG-HI) and 21 hearing participants without any psychological disease (CG-H). Compared to the two control groups, the EG-HI shows significantly higher rates in different fields, i.e. participants perceive a lower quality of life, suffer from more psychosomatic symptoms and show more pronounced personality traits. The two control groups did not differ significantly from each other. Conclusions Certain psychological characteristics among hearing-impaired patients can be detected which need to be accounted for in treatment. Furthermore, a hearing impairment is not inevitably linked to a reduced quality of life or even mental disorders. Therefore, future research should focus on risk factors and protective factors which could prevent mental diseases among the hearing-impaired population.