The assesment of aural rehabilitation by hearing aids on depresion anxiety stress scale 21 (DASS-21) and hearing handicap inventory for the ELDERLY (HHİ-E) in patients over 65 years of age

Gökçe Çiçek Arsever.The assesment of aural rehabilitation by hearing aids on Depresion Anxiety Stress Scale 21 (DASS-21) and Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly (HHI-E) in patients over 65 years of age. Başkent University Health Sciences Institute Audiology Master Thesis 2022. Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of hearing aid use on depression, anxiety, stress and quality of life in patients over the age of 65, using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale 21 (DASS-21) and the Hearing Impairment Inventory- Elderly (HHI-E). Materials and Methods: 50 volunteers over the age of 65 were included in the study. Airway pure tone thresholds at 125, 250, 500, 1000, 2000, 4000 and 8000 Hz frequencies and bone conduction pure tone hearing thresholds at 500, 1000, 2000 and 4000 Hz frequencies were measured. In order to determine the airway pure tone average, the thresholds determined at 500, 1000 and 2000 Hz frequencies were averaged. The mean of high frequencies average (HFA) was determined by averaging the airway thresholds at frequencies of 6000-8000 Hz. Depression Anxiety Stress-21 Scale (DASS-21) and Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly (HHI-E) questionnaires were administered to the participants before and at the 1st and 3rd months after the hearing aid application. Scale scores determined before and after device application were compared. The demographic information of the participants and the type of device they used (behind the ear=BTE, receiver in the ear=RIC) were recorded. Results: DASS-21 scores determined before hearing aid use was found to be significantly higher than the scores (p<0.001). DASS-21 median scores determined at 3 months after hearing aid use were lower than scores determined at 1 month after device use and before device use. It was found that the HHI-E scores determined at the 3rd month after the use of the hearing aid decreased significantly after the use of the hearing aid, and the HHI-E scores determined at the 3rd month were lower than the scores determined at the 1st month (p<0.001).The decrease in both DASS-21 and HHI-E scores was independent of the type of hearing aid used. Presbycusis is a health problem that has psychological effects in elderly individuals and needs to be rehabilitated. The use of hearing aids leads to a decrease in the subjective depression, anxiety and stress levels of elderly individuals with hearing loss, and an increase in the quality of life due to hearing impairment. Conclusion: Presbycusis is a health problem that has psychological effects in elderly individuals and needs to be rehabilitated. The use of hearing aids leads to a decrease in the subjective depression, anxiety and stress levels of elderly individuals with hearing loss, and an increase in the quality of life due to hearing impairment. Keywords: presbycusis, hearing loss, depression, anxiety, stress, quality of life This study was approved by Başkent University Institutional Ethical Commitee (Project no KA20/31 ) and funded by Başkent University Research Fund.