Mental Health of the People with Hearing Impairment in Korea: A Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study

BACKGROUND The prevalence of hearing impairment is increasing and an association between hearing impairment and mental health has been reported. Our study aimed to determine the association between hearing impairment and mental health in Korea. METHODS This was a cross-sectional study of data from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2010-2013, with a sample size of 18,563 individuals (6,395 with hearing impairment and 12,168 without hearing impairment), aged ≥20 years. RESULTS The female group with hearing impairment tended to have a higher rate of stress (odds ratio [OR], 1.32; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.11 to 1.56). The association between hearing impairment and depressive symptoms was higher in elderly males (OR, 1.60; 95% CI, 1.10 to 2.32), while the association of hearing impairment with suicide ideation was higher in elderly females (OR, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.00 to 1.75). CONCLUSION Elderly individuals with hearing impairment are easily susceptible to poor mental health status. Early targeted intervention to address mental health problems is recommended for people with hearing impairment.