The influence of hearing loss and hearing aid use on experienced emotion in everyday listening situations

Abstract

Objective: To address the extent to which the emotional experience of everyday listening situations is impacted by hearing loss and hearing aid use. Design: An exploratory prospective study with an observation arm and an intervention arm utilising smartphone-based ecological momentary assessment over 10 days. A hearing loss group was asked to wear and not wear their hearing aids on alternate days. A normal hearing group completed the surveys without hearing aids. Setting: Remote study gathering data during daily life. Participants: Twenty-six experienced hearing aid users with hearing loss and twenty participants with normal hearing thresholds. Intervention: Rotating hearing aid use on alternate days in the hearing loss group. Main measures: Participants reported on experienced emotions (valence, arousal and discrete emotion) in listening activities at random points throughout the day, as well as at baseline for related socioemotional variables. Results: Participants with hearing loss reported similar valence and arousal to the normal hearing group when wearing their hearing aids, but significantly lower when not wearing hearing aids. Wearing (versus not wearing) hearing aids showed a significant beneficial effect on valence and arousal. Discrete emotions were more negative when not wearing hearing aids. End-of-day reports of valence were also more negative. There was no significant effect of listening situation type. Conclusions: Unaided hearing loss was associated with a negative impact on emotions in listening situations. Hearing aids can restore the emotions experienced in everyday listening situations. The results highlight the importance of socioemotional well-being as a factor and outcome in audiological rehabilitation.