Abstract

Objectives

Hearing loss (HL) is regarded as a major risk factor for late-life depression. This study aims to further examine the association between HL and suicidal ideation (SI) among middle-aged and older adults using a nationally representative sample.

Method

The study sample comprised 34,142 adults (aged 50+) drawn from the 2015 to 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. SI was measured by response to the question, ‘At any time in the past year, did you seriously think about trying to kill yourself?’ HL was assessed by asking respondents whether they were deaf or had serious difficulty hearing. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the association between HL and SI after adjusting for a comprehensive list of covariates.

Results

Compared to those without HL, middle-aged and older adults with HL experienced significant health disparities regarding history of hospitalization, poor perceived health, higher prevalence of chronic diseases, depression, substance use, and SI. HL was positively associated with SI in the past year in both middle-aged (aOR = 1.59, 95% CI [1.14, 2.21], p < .001) and older adult groups (aOR = 1.58, 95% CI [1.07, 2.33], p < .001), controlling for depression, substance use, health status, and sociodemographic variables.

Conclusion

Given the high prevalence of hearing loss (HL) in aging populations, this study aimed to expand our knowledge of the relative strength of association between HL and SI. Findings implied that healthcare providers should consider screening for SI in those with HL.

中文翻译：

---

中老年人听力损失与自杀意念的关系

摘要

目标

听力损失（HL）被认为是晚年抑郁症的主要危险因素。本研究旨在使用具有全国代表性的样本进一步研究 HL 与中老年人自杀意念 (SI) 之间的关联。

方法

研究样本包括从 2015 年至 2018 年全国药物使用与健康调查中抽取的 34,142 名成年人（50 岁以上）。SI 是通过对以下问题的回答来衡量的：“在过去一年中的任何时候，您是否认真考虑过尝试自杀？” 通过询问受访者是否耳聋或听力严重困难来评估 HL。在调整综合协变量列表后，进行多变量逻辑回归分析以检查 HL 和 SI 之间的关联。

结果

与没有 HL 的人相比，患有 HL 的中年和老年人在住院史、健康状况不佳、慢性病、抑郁症、物质使用和 SI 的患病率较高方面经历了显着的健康差异。在过去的一年中，HL 与 SI 在中年组（aOR  = 1.59, 95% CI [1.14, 2.21], p < .001）和老年人组（aOR  = 1.58, 95% CI [1.07, 2.33 ）呈正相关], p < .001)，控制抑郁症、物质使用、健康状况和社会人口学变量。

结论

鉴于老年人口中听力损失 (HL) 的高患病率，本研究旨在扩大我们对 HL 和 SI 之间关联强度的了解。结果表明，医疗保健提供者应考虑对 HL 患者进行 SI 筛查。