Older Persons With Subjectively Assessed Hearing Problems in Poland: Quality of Life and Coping Strategies.

Age-related hearing loss (ARHL) is one of the most common sensory impairments, and has a serious impact on the quality of life (QOL) of affected individuals. The QOL and coping strategies of elderly people in Poland experiencing subjectively assessed hearing problems (SAHP) were analyzed. The method made use of the World Health Organization Quality of Life scale (WHOQOL Group, 1998) and three questionnaires tailored for the present study: the Coping Strategies Inventory, ARHP Inventory, and Participant Chart (Domagała-Zyśk, 2017). A generally good QOL for elderly respondents with SAHP was found. However, their QOL was lower in the social domain than that reported for elderly persons without hearing problems in other studies. Respondents tended to report using active, adaptive strategies, but about one third resisted wearing hearing aids and half reported using passive (i.e., maladaptive) strategies in social relationships.