The Stigma of Hearing Loss: A Scoping Review of the Literature Across Age and Gender
Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
Liu, C., Mavrommatis, M. M., et al. (2025).
Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, 172(6), 1874-1881.
<div>This scoping review investigates perspectives on hearing aids and cochlear implants in individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing.</div>
None declared
From database inception to April 28, 2024
<div>All primary study designs</div>
49
<div>The following were the perspectives of children, adolescents, and their caregivers regarding stigma and hearing loss:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>stigma was tied to concerns for bullying and the perception of classmates;</li>
<li>other negative themes related to hearing aid use included fear of rejection, limitation in participation in daily activities, lack of environmental support, loneliness, and lack of support; and</li>
<li>positive themes of hearing aid use included self-empowerment, positive feelings toward learning, and ease of use.</li>
</ul>
<div>Limitations to this review include the potential for missed relevant articles, lack of pooled analyses, and small sample sizes and number of included studies, which limited ability to conduct subgroup analyses.</div>
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<div>Interventions to support children with hearing aids in the classroom showed mixed effects. Some showed that explaining the benefits of hearing aids could reduce internalized stigma. Preferential seating may have an adverse impact on peer perception. Most parents reported few barriers to their child using hearing aids on a daily basis. Parents feared stigma but few reported bullying. In two studies of cochlear implants, children reported less stigma and greater quality of life compared to children who used hearing aids, though parents of children who used CIs reported feeling stigma.</div>
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<div>Limitations to this review include the potential for missed relevant articles, lack of pooled analyses, and small sample sizes and number of included studies, which limited ability to conduct subgroup analyses.</div>
<div>In working-age adults, the following was found regarding stigma associated with hearing aid use:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>positive themes included improved quality of life, positive impacts on interpersonal relationships, self-empowerment, self-acceptance, and reduced mental workload and</li>
<li>negative themes included perception of intelligence, visibility, ageism, isolation, bullying, lack of support, wage gaps, and lack of family acceptance.</li>
</ul>
<div>Limitations to this review include the potential for missed relevant articles, lack of pooled analyses, and small sample sizes and number of included studies, which limited ability to conduct subgroup analyses.</div>
</div>
<div>The following was found regarding stigma associated with hearing aid use in older adults:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>positive themes were improvement in quality of life, self‐empowerment, community, and ease of access and</li>
<li>negative themes were visibility, perception of intelligence, ageism, fear of rejection, self-perceived weakness, and lack of support.</li>
</ul>
<div>Limitations to this review include the potential for missed relevant articles, lack of pooled analyses, and small sample sizes and number of included studies, which limited ability to conduct subgroup analyses.</div>
</div>
<div> </div>
