Does Hearing Loss Cause Depression?

Did you know that hearing loss affects about 1/3 of people aged 65 to 74 and ½ of people over the age of 75. Even though so many people feel the negative effects of hearing loss, it tends to take a long time for people to actually do something about it. We have heard many times in our office, “I wish I would have done this sooner.”

Estimates from various sources state that between 20-30 million people are suffering from untreated hearing loss in the United States. Depending on the person, there are a variety of reasons why someone might not get treatment for hearing loss, especially as time passes. Just 28% of people who live with some amount of hearing loss actually pursued testing and treatment, according to one study. This implies that many people just accept their hearing loss as their normal state of being. This does not have to be the case.

Hearing loss is an easily diagnosed issue, and thanks to technological advancements in the world of hearing aids, is just as easily managed.  

Observing Hearing Loss and Mental Health

Your ability to hear is not the only health risk linked to hearing loss.

A study out of Colombia University adds that there is a connection between hearing loss and depression. This research group collected data from over 5,000 people aged 50 and over. They had their hearing tested and they were evaluated for symptoms of depression. After correcting for a number of variables, the statistics revealed that the odds of having clinically significant symptoms of depression increased about 45% for every 20dB decrease in hearing. Think of 20dB as someone speaking quietly. That’s a major consideration.

This new study adds to the already substantial amount of literature linking hearing loss and depression. It's interesting that such a slight difference in hearing sensitivity can contribute to a large increase in the chances of developing depression, but the concept itself is not surprising.

Another study yielded similar findings, after a multi-year analysis from 2000, which found that mental health decreased along with hearing loss. In yet another study, a considerably higher risk of depression was found in people with both self-reported hearing loss as well as in people with hearing loss found from an exam.

The good news is that researchers suspect that the link between hearing loss and depression is not chemical or biological, meaning it’s likely social. Individuals living with untreated hearing loss will sometimes even avoid minor daily interactions. The kicker is sometimes this even becomes subconscious, as in, you weren’t consciously aware in the moment that the reason you didn’t want to join at the restaurant, was because you don’t enjoy asking people to repeat themselves. The isolation that results feeds into a depressed emotional state. Luckily, this cycle can be broken easily.

Observing Mental Health after Treating Hearing Loss

Treating hearing loss, typically with hearing aids, will reduce the risk of developing symptoms of depression. According to a study in 2011 where 34 people were examined pre and post treatment, all of them displayed an improvement in depressive symptoms. They also showed an increase in cognitive function, all after wearing hearing aids for only 3 months.

Those results are long-lasting, as reported in a case study in 2012 which demonstrated ongoing relief in depression symptoms for every single individual who used hearing aids as much as 6 months out. This becomes the new normal--better hearing and a better emotional state.

If you are interested in learning more about how hearing effects cognitive function in other ways, check out our page on brain hearing!

Hearing loss is hard, but you’re not alone. If you think you may have untreated hearing loss, give us a call. It will benefit more than just your hearing.

References

https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/age-related-hearing-losshttps://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/statistics/quick-statistics-hearinghttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27818440https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/statistics/quick-statistics-hearing#8https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaotolaryngology/fullarticle/2664072https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaotolaryngology/article-abstract/2717904https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaotolaryngology/article-abstract/2717904https://academic.oup.com/gerontologist/article/40/3/320/605349https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24604103https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3773611/https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0167494310001147https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1447-0594.2011.00789.xhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1494282