Abstract
Background:
Some patients deny that they have a hearing impairment, which can lead to unmanaged hearing impairment. The purpose of this review is to provide insights into why some individuals deny they have a hearing loss and do not want any hearing health care. This paper suggests strategies for promoting acceptance among such patients.
Material and Methods:
The article is based on a synthesis of the clinical and scientific literature, as well as clinical experience related to the various aspects of why patients deny that they have a hearing loss and reject hearing health care. The cited literature was collected by using the PubMed database and the Google Scholar search engine using the terms ‘denial’, ‘hearing loss’, and ‘hearing aids’
Results:
In addition to denying they have a hearing loss, some patients deny there is any impact of hearing loss and that they don’t need hearing aids. Denial can present in a variety of forms, including implicit or explicit denial, and can range in severity from partial to complete denial. Reasons for denial include the stigma related to hearing loss and hearing aids, lack of trust in hearing health care providers, uncertainty of the benefits of hearing aids, and lack of confidence in making the required adaptations.
Conclusions:
Patients with denial of hearing loss are unlikely to seek assistance from hearing health professionals or participate in studies related to their condition. Thus, outreach efforts are necessary to reach such individuals. To address denial, enrolment in aural rehabilitation support groups, guidance to significant communication partners, and several other strategies can be used. Additional studies will be beneficial in further exploring denial.
Some patients deny that they have a hearing impairment, which can lead to unmanaged hearing impairment. The purpose of this review is to provide insights into why some individuals deny they have a hearing loss and do not want any hearing health care. This paper suggests strategies for promoting acceptance among such patients.
Material and Methods:
The article is based on a synthesis of the clinical and scientific literature, as well as clinical experience related to the various aspects of why patients deny that they have a hearing loss and reject hearing health care. The cited literature was collected by using the PubMed database and the Google Scholar search engine using the terms ‘denial’, ‘hearing loss’, and ‘hearing aids’
Results:
In addition to denying they have a hearing loss, some patients deny there is any impact of hearing loss and that they don’t need hearing aids. Denial can present in a variety of forms, including implicit or explicit denial, and can range in severity from partial to complete denial. Reasons for denial include the stigma related to hearing loss and hearing aids, lack of trust in hearing health care providers, uncertainty of the benefits of hearing aids, and lack of confidence in making the required adaptations.
Conclusions:
Patients with denial of hearing loss are unlikely to seek assistance from hearing health professionals or participate in studies related to their condition. Thus, outreach efforts are necessary to reach such individuals. To address denial, enrolment in aural rehabilitation support groups, guidance to significant communication partners, and several other strategies can be used. Additional studies will be beneficial in further exploring denial.
| Original language | American English |
|---|---|
| Article number | DOI: https://doi.org/10.17430/906204 |
| Pages (from-to) | 9-23 |
| Number of pages | 14 |
| Journal | Journal of Hearing Science |
| Volume | 8 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 2018 |
Scopus Subject Areas
- General Health Professions
Disciplines
- Speech Pathology and Audiology
Keywords
- Aging
- Denial
- Hearing aids
- Older adults
- Stigma
