Abstract
Objective
Hearing loss impacts all aspects of life, including communication, relationships, and psychosocial health. This review aimed to identify and synthesise existing research on the lived experience of adults with hearing loss.
Design
Using a logic model framework, the review explored four elements: social support, agency and capability, auditory lifeworld and patient centred care. The model informed search strategies across five databases. Narrative analysis and synthesis of the included papers drew on principles of thematic analysis to identify how each element of lived experience was described in the studies.
Sample
Of 8,137 studies screened, 62 papers met the inclusion criteria, of which 57 fulfilled inclusion for one category, and five papers fulfilled criteria for inclusion in two categories.
Results
The experience of hearing loss model was examined through research evidence derived from international studies. The components of the model described patterns in research evidence.
Conclusion
This systematic review and narrative synthesis provides a comprehensive description of the literature on the lived experience of hearing loss. Even with hearing care, the challenges of living with hearing loss persist. A deeper understanding of how hearing loss is experienced can guide audiological practice.
Hearing loss impacts all aspects of life, including communication, relationships, and psychosocial health. This review aimed to identify and synthesise existing research on the lived experience of adults with hearing loss.
Design
Using a logic model framework, the review explored four elements: social support, agency and capability, auditory lifeworld and patient centred care. The model informed search strategies across five databases. Narrative analysis and synthesis of the included papers drew on principles of thematic analysis to identify how each element of lived experience was described in the studies.
Sample
Of 8,137 studies screened, 62 papers met the inclusion criteria, of which 57 fulfilled inclusion for one category, and five papers fulfilled criteria for inclusion in two categories.
Results
The experience of hearing loss model was examined through research evidence derived from international studies. The components of the model described patterns in research evidence.
Conclusion
This systematic review and narrative synthesis provides a comprehensive description of the literature on the lived experience of hearing loss. Even with hearing care, the challenges of living with hearing loss persist. A deeper understanding of how hearing loss is experienced can guide audiological practice.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Number of pages | 14 |
| Journal | International Journal of Audiology |
| Early online date | 30 Jun 2025 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | E-pub ahead of print - 30 Jun 2025 |
Bibliographical note
Copyright © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group on behalf of British Society of Audiology, International Society of Audiology, and Nordic Audiological Society.This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. The terms on which this article has been published allow the posting of the Accepted Manuscript in a repository by the author(s) or with their consent.
Funding
This study is funded by an NIHR HSDR grant. (Funding stream REF NIHR131597).
Keywords
- Hearing loss
- adaptation
- lived experience
- psychosocial interventions
- social stigma
- systematic review