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J Am Acad Audiol 2021; 32(02): 083-089
DOI: 10.1055/s-0040-1718928
Research Article

Psychosocial Well-Being of Adults Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

Karen Muñoz
1   Department of Communicative Disorders and Deaf Education, Utah State University, Logan, Utah
,
Kelsey Baughman
1   Department of Communicative Disorders and Deaf Education, Utah State University, Logan, Utah
,
Alex Meibos 
2   School of Speech Language Pathology and Audiology, University of Akron, Akron, Ohio
,
Clarissa W. Ong
3   Department of Psychology, Utah State University, Logan, Utah
,
Michael P. Twohig
3   Department of Psychology, Utah State University, Logan, Utah
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Abstract

Background Psychosocial well-being can interfere with engagement in activities of daily life. Consideration of psychosocial domains within hearing health care can expand audiologists' ability to understand treatment barriers and provide an opportunity to jointly address challenges.

Purpose This study explored psychosocial well-being and predictors among adults who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH).

Research Design Cross-sectional survey.

Study Sample Two-hundred and sixty-nine surveys were included in the analysis.

Data Collection and Analysis Data were collected online. Backward elimination regression analyses were used to identify significant predictors of psychosocial well-being.

Results Findings indicated most (∼70–80%) of the respondents' scores were below clinical cut-off for psychological distress, self-efficacy, quality of life, overall well-being, functioning, and relationship satisfaction, with the remainder falling between mild to severe clinical cut-offs. Psychological distress was predicted by more psychological inflexibility, presence of additional disabilities, and younger age. Increased functional impairment was predicted by psychological inflexibility.

Conclusion The majority of adults who are DHH in this study had positive indicators for psychosocial well-being. Screening patients for psychological flexibility could be included in standard hearing health care practices to help clinicians identify individuals who may benefit from additional or different support.

Keywords

hearing loss - adults - wellbeing - function - quality of life

Note

Portions of this paper were presented at the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association convention in 2019.




Publication History

Received: 15 April 2020

Accepted: 18 June 2020

Article published online:
09 December 2020

© 2020. American Academy of Audiology. This article is published by Thieme.

Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc.
333 Seventh Avenue, 18th Floor, New York, NY 10001, USA

 

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