A Study of Geriatric Depression Propensity Based on Hearing Loss of the Old

Abstract

A Study of Geriatric Depression Propensity Based on Hearing Loss of the Old Haeng-Tae Chun, So-Hyun Cho and Soo-Jin Cho 1 Audiology, Department of Speech Pathology & Audiology, Graduate School of Public Health, Daebul University, Mokpo, Korea 2 Department of Speech Pathology & Audiology College of Faculty of Nursing, Welfare & Therapy, Daebul University, Mokpo, Korea Objective:The present study was focused on examining into the hearing loss-based depression that is frequently observed the aged over 65 years old. Hereupon, author analyzed the correlation of depression between normal and hearing loss, using KGDS (Korean Form of Geriatric Depression Scale), as well as ascertained the influence of hearing loss on depression and the applicability to screening test data. Methods:The subjects were composed of the 108 aged over 65 years old (normal;37, hearing loss;71) and their average age was 77.06 years old. Pure-tone audiometry was practiced over the whole frequency band and KGDS was drawn up through bone conduction test and tympanometer. Results:Results were as follows. First, The male accounted for higher proportion of the hearing loss in the aged over 65 years old, but the female was higher in geriatric depression. Considering the cause of depression, the males were mostly caused by negative thinking and unhappiness feeling, and physical weakening and decreased vitality had the highest percentage of the female’s. Second, The group whose hearing threshold heightened in high-frequency band hearing lose was observed showed more serious depression, compared with the group doing not have hearing loss. Moderate hearing loss-based depression was prominent in case of trisection method, and moderate severe hearing loss was prominent in case of quadrisection methd. Third, The reason why the aged over 65 years old, who have hearing loss, feel depressive was mostly caused by physical weakening and decreased vitality, concurrently with some psychological factors such as cognitive dysfunction, negative thinking and unhappiness feeling, etc. Finally, In proportion to the increase of their depression, their complaints about hearing loss increased. Conversely, their complaints decreased when their depression was relatively low. Conclusions:It is expected that the result of this study may be used to make the aged over 65 years old rightly recognize the problem of hearing loss and the importance of early treatment and rehabilitative therapy, and may be used to correctly ascertain the geriatric depression that psychologically depresses the aged. Moreover, it may be applied to the screening test data that helps the specialists to counsel those who have hearing loss and to select hearing aids and something else.