Age-related hearing loss, depression and auditory amplification: a randomized clinical trial

Purpose Our study investigates the effectiveness of aural rehabilitation to decrease depressive symptoms in older adults, and the relationship between hearing loss and depression. Methods A randomized controlled study was conducted at a hearing rehabilitation center with people over 65 years old. Participants were randomly allocated to the intervention group who received hearing aids, or to the control group. Data collection included pure-tone audiometry and a Portuguese version of the Geriatric Depression Scale assessed at two time points: baseline (P0) and after 4-week period (P1). Results The results show that the increase of hearing thresholds in pure-tone audiometry is associated with a significant increase in depressive symptoms (p = 0.001). The effect of aural rehabilitation for improving depressive symptoms was significant in intervention group (p = 0.000) and between groups (p = 0.003) in P1. Conclusion Age-related hearing loss has adverse effects on older adults' mental health, due to reduced hearing inputs that may increase levels of effort to communicate and affect social engagement, which lead to depression. Hearing aid use improves levels of depression and can promote greater quality of life in older adults.