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 Measure(s) (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.