Impact of hearing aid use on depression and quality of life in older patients with age-related hearing loss: A focus on social relationships

Hearing loss is a sensory deficit prevalent in older adults. In South Korea, over 40 % of individuals aged 60 and older reportedly experience unilateral or bilateral hearing loss. An association between perceived social support and satisfaction with hearing aid use has been reported. Although most previous studies focused on the direct effects of hearing aid use, its impact on social relationships remains poorly explored. We analyzed data from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging between 2006 and 2022 for those aged 65 years or above. Outcome measures in this study were depressive symptoms and self-reported quality of life (QoL) scores. The independent variable in this study was hearing aid use. A regression analysis was performed using a generalized estimating equation (GEE) model. Additionally, the interaction effect between hearing aids and social relationships was examined by performing an interaction term analysis. Of the 554 participants, 177 (31.9 %) used hearing aids. GEE analysis revealed that participants who used hearing aids had a lower depressive symptoms score (β = -0.328, 95 % confidence interval (CI) = -0.625 to -0.031) and higher self-reported QoL (β = 2.193, 95 % CI = 0.060 to 4.327). The interaction term analysis demonstrated a significant interaction effect between hearing aid use and social relationships. Hearing aid use was associated with reduced depressive symptoms and enhanced QoL in older adults with hearing loss. These effects were further moderated by the strength of social relationships, underscoring the importance of both auditory and social interventions in promoting mental and emotional well-being in aging societies.