Psychosocial Impact of Assistive Devices and Other Technologies on Deaf and Hard of Hearing People.

Estíbaliz Jiménez-Arberas,Emiliano Díez

doi:10.3390/ijerph18147259

Abstract

Deaf and hard of hearing people use a variety of assistive devices and technologies as a strategy to mitigate, counter or compensate for life difficulties resulting from hearing loss. Although outcome measures are commonly used with hearing aids, few studies have explored the perceived psychosocial impact of other assistive devices and technologies or the factors leading to their abandonment or lack of use. Therefore, the main aim of this study was to assess the psychosocial impact of different assistive devices on deaf and hard of hearing people using the Psychosocial Impact of Assistive Devices Scale. The sample was made up of 291 individuals, 176 women and 115 men, with an average age of 56.12 years (standard deviation (SD) = 25.11), who were all users of different assistive devices. Overall, the results of the study showed that the use of assistive devices had a positive psychosocial impact, although this impact varied slightly depending on the specific type of device. Moreover, a relationship was identified between the psychosocial impact and the probability of future abandonment of a hearing aid or a cochlear implant. The results point to the importance of considering the psychosocial impact derived from the use of a device as a relevant variable in the adoption process of assistive technologies for deaf and hard of hearing people.

Highlights

Hearing loss is a global issue and one of the main concerns of the World HealthOrganisation (WHO) [1] which estimates that there will be nearly 2.5 billion people with some degree of hearing problems in 2050
A descriptive analysis of the total Psychosocial Impact of Assistive Devices Scale (PIADS) scale and its three subscales was carried out. This analysis showed that the average impact was positive for the three subscales of self-esteem (M = 1.15; SD = 1.12), adaptability (M = 1.37; SD = 1.1) and competence (M = 1.23; SD = 1), and for the total PIADS scale (M = 1.24; SD = 0.99)
The scores for the total scale and the three subscales were calculated grouping each type of assistive device according to four groups: hearing aid (HA), CI, information and communication technologies (ICT) and video relay services (VRS)

Summary

Introduction

Hearing loss is a global issue and one of the main concerns of the World HealthOrganisation (WHO) [1] which estimates that there will be nearly 2.5 billion people with some degree of hearing problems in 2050. The WHO estimates that there are 433 million people with disabling hearing loss around the world (5% of the global population). Many of these people use assistive devices and technologies to help them hear. The World Report on Hearing [2] indicates that only 17% of the population that would benefit from using a hearing aid (HA) uses it. This gap in non-use ranges from 77% in Europe to 90% in Africa. The most commonly used devices for hearing loss are HAs (in-the-ear, behind-the-ear, in-the-canal or completely-in-canal) [3,4]

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Conclusion