The Influence of Forced Social Isolation on the Auditory Ecology and Psychosocial Functions of Listeners With Cochlear Implants During COVID-19 Mitigation Efforts.
Camille C Dunn, Elizabeth Stangl, Jacob Oleson and 3 others
PMID 33369590WHAT IT FOUND
During social distancing, cochlear implant users listened in quieter settings with better speech understanding and less hearing-related anxiety.
However, they reported smaller social networks and greater general loneliness. Clinicians should distinguish between reduced listening strain and increased social isolation.
Key findings
01Participants reported better speech understanding, less listening effort, and less hearing-related anxiety and social isolation during the pandemic compared to before.
02Participants reported greater general loneliness and smaller social networks during the pandemic compared to before.
03Participants reported no significant change in overall anxiety or depression scores unrelated to their hearing loss.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study relied on self-reported data, which can be influenced by recall bias or current mood. The 'During-COVID' period was short (April-May 2020), which may not reflect long-term adaptation to social distancing. Information on job stability, financial strain, or health status was not collected, which could confound anxiety and depression results. The response rate for the real-time app surveys was lower than in some other similar studies.
Declared interests
Camille Dunn serves on the advisory board for Med-EL and Earlens Corporation and is a consultant for Advanced Bionics and Cochlear Americas. The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Government.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that social distancing improved mental health for cochlear implant users. While hearing-specific anxiety decreased due to quieter environments, general loneliness increased and overall depression/anxiety scores remained stable. The reduction in listening strain did not translate to better global psychosocial outcomes.