ERIC Number: EJ1406976
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023
Pages: 7
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1092-4388
EISSN: EISSN-1558-9102
The Impact of Age and Psychosocial Factors on Cognitive and Auditory Outcomes During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, v66 n9 p3689-3695 2023
Purpose: In March 2020, the U.K. government announced that people should isolate to reduce the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19. Outside a pandemic, psychosocial factors, such as socialization and mental health, may impact the relationship between hearing loss and increased dementia risk. We aim to report the impact of psychosocial factors, including social isolation, depression, and engagement in activities, on hearing and cognitive function in younger and older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: An online survey and experiment assessed self-reported psychosocial factors, self-reported hearing ability and speech-in-noise perception, and cognition. Data were collected between June 2020 and February 2021. Older (n = 112, M[subscript age] = 70.08) and younger (n = 121, M[subscript age] = 20.52) monolingual speakers of English, without any language or neurological disorders participated. Multiple linear regression models were employed to investigate hypothesized associations between psychosocial factors, and hearing and cognition, in older and younger adults. Results: Multiple regression analyses indicated that older adults displayed poorer speech-in-noise perception and poorer performance on one of four cognitive tasks, compared with younger adults; increased depression was associated with poorer subjective hearing. Other psychosocial factors did not significantly predict hearing or cognitive function. Conclusions: Data suggest that self-reported hearing and depression are related. This conclusion is important for understanding the associations between hearing loss and cognitive decline in the long term, as both hearing loss and depression are risk factors for dementia.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, COVID-19, Pandemics, Disease Control, Mental Health, Hearing Impairments, Dementia, Age Differences, Risk, Social Influences, Social Isolation, Depression (Psychology), Cognitive Ability, Auditory Perception, Older Adults, Adults, Life Style, Gender Differences, Speech Communication
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. 2200 Research Blvd #250, Rockville, MD 20850. Tel: 301-296-5700; Fax: 301-296-8580; e-mail: slhr@asha.org; Web site: http://jslhr.pubs.asha.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: N/A
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: United Kingdom
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Beck Depression Inventory
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A