Effect of Cochlear Implantation on Social Life

Abstract

Objective: Explore the effects of hearing loss on social life and identify residual social life deficits that remain after cochlear implantation.

Study design: Retrospective review of prospectively obtained data.

Setting: Tertiary care adult neurotology center.

Patients: Adults between the ages of 35 and 83 years were included with either normal hearing (NH) or a cochlear implant (CI).

Interventions: CI and non-CI-specific quality-of-life (QOL) surveys focused on social and overall QOL.

Main outcome measures: (1) The difference in QOL survey responses between NH and CI participants. (2) The relationship between CI-specific global and social QOL responses and non-CI-specific social QOL responses in CI users.

Results: A total of 51 participants were included: 31 CI users and 20 NH participants. Of the social QOL questionnaires, CI users reported significantly poorer scores on Self-Efficacy in Social Interactions than NH peers ( p = 0.049). Both Self-Efficacy in Social Interactions scores and Social Isolation Questionnaire scores were significantly correlated with the CI-specific social domain of QOL ( r = 0.64 and -0.58, respectively). Only the Self-Efficacy in Social Interactions scores had a moderate association with global CI QOL ( r = 0.47).

Conclusions: CI users self-report similar social life outcomes as their NH peers with the exception of poorer self-efficacy in social situations. Moreover, self-efficacy in social interactions and social isolation were associated with social QOL in CI users, and self-efficacy in social interactions was associated with broader CI-related QOL. Findings support the relevance of individuals' perception of social life to their overall QOL with a CI.