According to a presentation at the American Psychological Association’s 123rd Annual Convention held August 6 – 9 in Toronto, Canada, many adults silently battle hearing loss, which is under treated despite evidence that hearing aid technology can significantly lessen depression and anxiety, and improve cognitive function. “Many hard of hearing people suffer silently with their invisible hearing difficulties, straining to stay connected to the world around them, reluctant to seek help,” said David Myers, PhD, a psychology professor and textbook writer at Hope College in Michigan who lives with hearing loss.

In a presentation titled “A Quiet World: The Psychology of Hearing and Hearing Loss,” Myers reported that in a National Council on Aging study of 2,304 people with hearing loss, those who didn’t wear hearing aids were 50% more likely to suffer from sadness or depression than people who did wear them. Additionally, hearing aid users were much more likely to participate in social activities regularly.

People wait an average of six years from the first signs of hearing loss before getting treatment, according to the National Center for Health Statistics, and adults with hearing loss between the ages of 20 and 69 are half as likely as adults 70 or older to use hearing aids. Myers cited another study published by Frank Lin, MD, PhD, and co-authors in the Archives of Neurology that found hearing loss could also be a risk factor for dementia. The researchers who conducted the study said years of sensory loss leaves people more susceptible to dementia. Additionally, the social isolation common among the hard of hearing is another known risk factor for dementia and other cognitive disorders.

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