Abstract

Hearing loss is a very common health problem throughout the world, although the number of hearing impaired individuals varies greatly in the countries. It is generally accepted that hearing impairment inevitably leads to a breakdown in communication and physical and mental health problems consequently. Nevertheless, few community based studies have been undertaken to examine both the mental and more general physical state of the hearing impaired patients. This study was conducted to evaluate the anxiety and depression in hearing impaired patients. Self-administered questionnaires including sociodemographic data were given to 336 subjects over the age of 18 years who visited the Health Management Center, Uijongbu St. Mary's Hospital for the routine health check up from January 1996 to April 1996 and three hundred seventeen samples (male: 197, female: 120) were selected. For the assessment of anxiety and depression we used Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS) devised by Zung. And hearing impairment was evaluated using a Beltone Model 110 Audiometer. The results were statistically analyzed by ANOVA test and x(2) test. The results obtained were as follow: 1. The mean anxiety scores counted by SAS of 0-15dB HL (hearing loss) group (classified by the average loss in the better ear at 500, 1,000, 2,000Hz frequencies), 16-29dB HL group, 30-44dB HL group, more than 45dB HL group were 33.1+/-6.6 32.2+/-5.9, 41. +/-8.4, 42.8+/-6.0 respectively. And the mean depression Scores counted by SDS of 0-15dB HL group, 16-29dB HL group, 30-44dB HL group, more than 45dB HL group were 37.4+/-7.7, 37.2+/-7.2, 46.2+/-8.4, 48.6+/-8.6, respectively. The more than 30dB HL group showed significant high scores in SAS and SDS than the less than 30dB HL group (p<0.001). 2. The frequency of clinically significant anxiety disorder (SAS > or = 50) was 3.4% in less than 30dB HL group and 11. 1% in more than 30dB HL group. The difference between two groups was statistically significant (p<0.05). 3. The frequency of clinically significant depression disorder (SDS > or = 50) was 5.1% in less than 30dB HL group and 39.5% in more than 30dB HL group. The difference between two groups was statistically significant (p<0.05). 4. When several important interaction variables related to anxiety: and depression (such as age, sex, marital status, education level, economic status, occupation, religion) were stratified and we compared the groups between the more than 30dB HL and less than 30dB HL, most factors about anxiety and depression showed the significant differences in two groups. 5. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that hearing loss(p<0.05) predicted anxiety disorder (SAS> or = 50) and hearing loss(p<0.01), age(p<0.05) predicted depression disorder (SDS> or = 50). In conclusion, there was significant difference in anxiety and depression scores, between more than 30dB HL(in the better hearing ear) group and less than 30dB HL group. This study suggested that anxiety and depression should be considered as adverse effects of hearing impairment.

• Keywords: Hearing impairment;Anxiety;Depression