Symptoms of anxiety disorders in Iranian adolescents with hearing loss during the COVID-19 pandemic

Saeed Ariapooran,Mehdi Khezeli

doi:10.1186/s12888-021-03118-0

Abstract

BackgroundAnxiety symptoms have been reported in many populations during the COVID-19 pandemic, but not in adolescents with a hearing loss. This study aimed to investigate the presence of symptoms of anxiety disorders (ADs) in adolescents with hearing loss (HL) during the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020.MethodsIn this cross sectional study, 56 adolescents with HL (aged 12 to 18 years) including 23 deaf, and 33 hard of hearing (HH) were selected from four counties located in western Iran using a census method. Adolescents with HL filled out the self-report of the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED).ResultsThe results showed that the presence of symptoms of ADs in adolescents with HL was 37.5%, and higher in deaf than in HH adolescents (60.9% in deaf vs. 21.2% in HH, p = 0.003). Among the subscales, only the Social Anxiety Disorder (39.1% in deaf vs. 9.1% in HH, p = 0.009) and the School Avoidance (52.2% in deaf vs. 24.2% in HH, p = 0.031) significantly differed. The mean score of Panic Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder, and Anxiety Disorders in the deaf adolescents were higher than in HH ones.ConclusionsOur study showed the presence of significant symptoms of ADs in a sample of Iranian adolescents with HL, especially in deaf adolescents, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Highlights

Anxiety symptoms have been reported in many populations during the COVID-19 pandemic, but not in adolescents with a hearing loss
The sample was comprised of all adolescents aged 12–18 that had hearing loss (HL) including deaf and Hard of hearing (HH)
The results showed that the mean score of anxiety disorders (ADs) (t = 4.35, P < .001), panic disorder (PD) (t = 2.62, P = .011), and Social Anxiety Disorder (SoAD) (t = 3.67, P < .001) were higher in deaf adolescents than in HH ones

Summary

Introduction

Anxiety symptoms have been reported in many populations during the COVID-19 pandemic, but not in adolescents with a hearing loss. This study aimed to investigate the presence of symptoms of anxiety disorders (ADs) in adolescents with hearing loss (HL) during the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020. Fear and anxiety are adaptive reactions to unknown conditions such COVID-19 pandemic [3]. This is probably one of the reasons that psychological disorders were commonly reported during the COVID-19 pandemic [4]. Hard of hearing people usually communicate through spoken language and can use hearing aids such as cochlear implants. Deaf people have profound HL and hear very little or do not hear at all and often use sign language to communicate [12]

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