Abstract
Mental health is a core component of quality of life in old age. Dual Sensory Loss (DSL; combined vision and hearing loss) is prevalent in older adults and has been correlated with decreased levels of well-being. This systematic review aimed to critically review and summarize the evidence from studies that examined the mental health of older adults with DSL. In accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews (PRISMA) statement, specific databases were searched and eight articles were selected for final review. Seven studies investigated the association between DSL and depression or depressive symptoms, whilst one study explored the relationship between DSL and quality of life. No studies investigated the impact of DSL on anxiety. Overall, results of this review suggested that there is a significant relationship between DSL and decreased mental health with those with DSL either displaying depressive symptoms or being at risk for developing depression. Future research should focus on comparative studies of older people with and without sensory loss, as well as targeted studies of older people with dual sensory loss, that incorporate well-defined and valid measures of sensory loss and mental health.
Highlights
Mental health is a key component in the health and well-being of older adults and refers to the “state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community” (World Health Organisation, 2013b, para. 1)
The prevalence of Dual Sensory Loss (DSL) was consistent with the findings of Chou and Chi (2004) who found that 6.5% of their sample had DSL, these later authors found that vision impairment was significantly related to depression whilst hearing loss was not
DSL was associated with lower scores on both the mental health and physical health component scores of the SF36 compared to those with hearing or vision impairment (Chia et al, 2006)
Summary
Mental health is a key component in the health and well-being of older adults and refers to the “state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community” (World Health Organisation, 2013b, para. 1). DSL is prevalent in the older adult population due to the gradual deterioration of their vision and/or hearing with advancing age (Davila et al, 2009), and for veterans who are aged 85 years or older (Smith et al, 2008). The significance and potential impact of DSL in older age groups was highlighted by Brennan and Bally (2007) who estimated the prevalence of DSL in those aged 70 years and over as ranging between 5 and 20%. They concluded that by 2030, based on population ageing trends, between 3.5 and 14 million older people in the US would develop DSL
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