Hearing loss, mental well-being and healthcare use: results from the Health Survey for England (HSE)

Background Mental illness and mental well-being are independent but correlated dimensions of mental health. Both are associated with social functioning (in opposite directions), but it is not known whether they modify the effects of one another. New treatment targets might emerge if improving mental well-being in people with serious mental illness improved functional outcomes independent of clinical status. Aims To describe associations between mental well-being and functioning in people classified according to mental illness status. Method Cross-sectional data from 5485 respondents to the Health Survey for England 2014 were analysed. Mental illness status (including whether diagnosed by a professional) was by self-report and grouped into four categories, including ‘diagnosis of serious mental illness’. Mental well-being was measured using the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale, and functioning by items from the EQ-5D. Mental distress was assessed using General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) items. Associations were examined using moderated regression models with group membership as an interaction term. Results Mental well-being score was associated with (higher) functioning score (P < 0.05). This association varied between mental illness groups, even after adjusting for age, gender, ethnicity, physical health and symptoms of mental distress (F(3) = 14.60, P < 0.001). The gradient of this association was greatest for those with diagnosed serious mental illness. Conclusions Mental well-being was associated with higher functional status in people with mental illness, independent of the symptoms of mental distress and other confounders. The association was strongest in the diagnosed serious mental illness group, suggesting that mental well-being may be important in recovery from mental illness.

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Major health-related behaviours and mental well-being in the general population: the Health Survey for England

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2014-005878 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 4 (9) ◽

pp. e005878-e005878 ◽

Cited By ~ 55

Author(s):

S. Stranges ◽

P. C. Samaraweera ◽

F. Taggart ◽

N.-B. Kandala ◽

S. Stewart-Brown

Keyword(s):

General Population ◽

Health Survey ◽

Well Being ◽

Major Health ◽

Health Related ◽

Mental Well Being ◽

Health Survey For England

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Well-being, physical activity and long-term conditions: cross-sectional analysis of Health Survey for England 2016

Public Health ◽

10.1016/j.puhe.2020.06.013 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 185 ◽

pp. 368-374

Author(s):

C. Harvey ◽

P. Ratcliffe ◽

M.C. Gulliford

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Health Survey ◽

Well Being ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Long Term Conditions ◽

Cross Sectional Analysis ◽

Sectional Analysis ◽

Health Survey For England

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Socioeconomic differences in hearing among middle-aged and older adults: cross-sectional analyses using the Health Survey for England

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2017-019615 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 8 (2) ◽

pp. e019615 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Shaun Scholes ◽

Jane Biddulph ◽

Adrian Davis ◽

Jennifer S. Mindell

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Hearing Loss ◽

Health Survey ◽

Hearing Aids ◽

Hearing Aid ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Middle Aged ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Hearing Aid Use ◽

Health Survey For England

BackgroundHearing loss impacts on cognitive, social and physical functioning. Both hearing loss and hearing aid use vary across population subgroups. We examined whether hearing loss, and reported current hearing aid use among persons with hearing loss, were associated with different markers of socioeconomic status (SES) in a nationally representative sample of community-dwelling middle-aged and older adults.MethodsHearing was measured using an audiometric screening device in the Health Survey for England 2014 (3292 participants aged 45 years and over). Hearing loss was defined as >35 dB HL at 3.0 kHz in the better-hearing ear. Using sex-specific logistic regression modelling, we evaluated the associations between SES and hearing after adjustment for potential confounders.Results26% of men and 20% of women aged 45 years and over had hearing loss. Hearing loss was higher among men in the lowest SES groups. For example, the multivariable-adjusted odds of hearing loss were almost two times as high for those in the lowest versus the highest income tertile (OR 1.77, 95% CI 1.15 to 2.74). Among those with hearing loss, 30% of men and 27% of women were currently using a hearing aid. Compared with men in the highest income tertile, the multivariable-adjusted odds of using a hearing aid nowadays were lower for men in the middle (OR 0.50, 95% CI 0.25 to 0.99) and the lowest (OR 0.47, 95% CI 0.23 to 0.97) income tertiles. Associations between SES and hearing were weaker or null among women.ConclusionsWhile the burden of hearing loss fell highest among men in the lowest SES groups, current hearing aid use was demonstrably lower. Initiatives to detect hearing loss early and increase the uptake and the use of hearing aids may provide substantial public health benefits and reduce socioeconomic inequalities in health.

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Effectiveness and Cost-Effectiveness of Receiving a Hearing Dog on Mental Well-Being and Health in People With Hearing Loss: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

JMIR Research Protocols ◽

10.2196/15452 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (4) ◽

pp. e15452

Author(s):

Lucy Stuttard ◽

Catherine Hewitt ◽

Caroline Fairhurst ◽

Helen Weatherly ◽

Simon Walker ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hearing Loss ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Well Being ◽

The United Kingdom ◽

Life Years ◽

Related Quality ◽

The Impact ◽

Mental Well Being ◽

To Receive

Background People with hearing loss, particularly those who lose their hearing in adulthood, are at an increased risk of social isolation, mental health difficulties, unemployment, loss of independence, risk of accidents, and impaired quality of life. In the United Kingdom, a single third-sector organization provides hearing dogs, a specific type of assistance dog trained to provide sound support to people with hearing loss. These dogs may also deliver numerous psychosocial benefits to recipients. This has not previously been fully investigated. Objective The study aims to evaluate the impact of a hearing dog partnership on the lives of individuals with severe or profound hearing loss. Methods A 2-arm, randomized controlled trial will be conducted within the United Kingdom with 162 hearing dog applicants, aged 18 years and older. Participants will be randomized 1:1 using a matched-pairs design to receive a hearing dog sooner than usual (intervention arm: arm B) or to receive a hearing dog within the usual timeframe (comparator arm: arm A). In the effectiveness analysis, the primary outcome is a comparison of mental well-being 6 months after participants in arm B have received a hearing dog (arm A have not yet received a hearing dog), measured using the Short Warwick Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale. Secondary outcome measures include the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, and Work and Social Adjustments Scale. An economic evaluation will assess the cost-effectiveness, including health-related quality-adjusted life years using the EuroQol 5 Dimensions and social care–related quality-adjusted life years. Participants will be followed up for up to 2 years. A nested qualitative study will investigate the impacts of having a hearing dog and how these impacts occur. Results The study is funded by the National Institute for Health Research’s School for Social Care Research. Recruitment commenced in March 2017 and is now complete. A total of 165 participants were randomized. Data collection will continue until January 2020. Results will be published in peer-reviewed journals and at conferences. A summary of the findings will be made available to participants. Ethical approval was received from the University of York’s Department of Social Policy and Social Work Research Ethics Committee (reference SPSW/S/17/1). Conclusions The findings from this study will provide, for the first time, strong and reliable evidence on the impact of having a hearing dog on people’s lives in terms of their quality of life, well-being, and mental health. Trial Registration International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number Registry ISRCTN36452009; http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN36452009 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/15452

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The Associations between Mental Well-Being and Adherence to Physical Activity Guidelines in Patients with Cardiovascular Disease: Results from the Scottish Health Survey

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph16193596 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 16 (19) ◽

pp. 3596 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Ahmad Salman ◽

Maha Sellami ◽

Abdulla Saeed AL-Mohannadi ◽

Sungsoo Chun

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Cardiovascular Disease ◽

Health Survey ◽

Adult Population ◽

Well Being ◽

Moderate Activity ◽

Physical Activity Guidelines ◽

Scottish Health Survey ◽

Health Related ◽

Mental Well Being

The association between physical activity (PA) and mental well-being in individuals with a cardiovascular disease (CVD) is poorly studied. The objective of this study was to assess the association between mental well-being and adherence to the recommended guidelines for PA in a Scottish adult population with CVD. The study used data from 3128 adults who had CVD conditions (1547 men and 1581 women; mean age 63.29 years) who participated in the Scottish Health Survey between 2014 and 2017. The Warwick–Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (WEMWBS) was used as a surrogate measure of mental health. PA was classified as “met” or “unmet” on the basis of the recommended PA guidelines (150 min of moderate activity or 75 min of vigorous activity per week). The relationship between PA guidelines being met and the WEMWBS score was explored using hierarchical linear regression accounting for a set of health and sociodemographic characteristics. Of the participants, ~41.8% met the recommended PA levels. Among those with CVD, the mean (SD) WEMWBS scores of individuals who did not have a long-standing illness (51.14 ± 7.65 vs 47.07 ± 9.54; p < 0.05), diabetes (48.44 ± 9.05 vs 46.04 ± 10.25; p < 0.05), or high blood pressure (48.63 ± 9.08 vs 47.52 ± 9.47; p < 0.05) were significantly higher than those of individuals with such conditions. Meeting PA recommendations was significantly associated with a higher mean WEMWBS score (50.64 ± 7.97 vs 46.06 ± 9.75; p < 0.05). Multiple regression analysis of health-related behaviors improved the prediction of mental well-being over and above meeting the recommended PA levels. Mental well-being was strongly correlated with PA adherence in CVD patients. It seems that for patients with CVD, PA should be tailored to meet patients’ health conditions in order to promote mental well-being and improve overall health.

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