Acquired deafness and mental health

This paper reviews studies of the relationship between acquired deafness and psychological disturbance. The first part examines descriptive case studies based on personal experience, clinical observation and the simulation of hearing loss. The second part reviews studies with an experimental orientation. The overall conclusion is that acquired deafness is associated with psychological disturbance, at least at the psychoneurotic level. However, there is little evidence to support the commonly held view that loss of hearing results in heightened suspiciousness or an increased likelihood of paranoid reactions.