Hearing Health Enhances Self-Esteem

A new study by Phonak illustrates the connection between good hearing health and good self-esteem. The "Hearing Is Living" study is part of the Hear the World global initiative by the company to build awareness about the importance of good hearing.

The study surveyed more than 4,300 people in the United States, Germany, France, Switzerland and Great Britain to examine the significance of hearing on a person's quality of life. The survey included people with hearing aids, people with untreated hearing loss, relatives of people with hearing loss, and people not affected by hearing loss, directly or indirectly.

As many as 72 percent of the U.S. respondents agreed that getting a hearing aid was worth it and their hearing aids were worth the investment. The majority (83 percent) of hearing aid users surveyed agreed that their quality of life changed for the better once their hearing improved. More than three-fourths of the U.S. respondents with hearing aids said their devices have a positive influence on their general mood, and 68 percent reported improved mental fitness, evidenced by heightened receptiveness and improved concentration.

People with untreated hearing loss indicated the importance of good hearing for good mental health. Globally, respondents affected by moderate to severe hearing loss who did not wear a hearing aid reported feeling sad or depressed more frequently than hearing aid owners (22 percent vs. 15 percent). They also were more likely to feel insecure and anxious (21 percent vs. 13 percent) and experience insomnia more often (31 percent vs. 24 percent).

"People with hearing loss lack some important opportunities for human contact," said Gail Brenner, AuD, of Hearing Technology Associates LLC in Philadelphia. "The consequences of this isolation can be the development of depression and increased anxiety but also increasing mistrust of others. While the tendency for depression among people with untreated hearing loss is significantly higher, differences between people who use hearing aids and people who have no hearing loss are marginal. This shows that a hearing aid can support the prevention of depression for people who experience hearing difficulties."

Among the U.S.-based respondents with hearing aids, 68 percent said their personal relationships improved after they started wearing hearing aids, and 44 percent said their love life had changed for the better.

The survey was conducted by Zehnvier, Swiss market research and strategy consultants. Hard copies of the study are available free of charge via info@hear-the-world.com.