Internet-based acceptance and commitment therapy for psychological distress experienced by people with hearing...

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Audiology
• Mental Health

Background:

• Psychological distress is prevalent in individuals with hearing impairments.
• Targeted treatments for psychological distress in this population are scarce.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility and efficacy of an eight-week Internet-based Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) intervention.
• To evaluate the impact of the intervention on psychological distress, quality of life, and symptoms of depression and anxiety in people with hearing problems.

Main Methods:

• A pilot randomized controlled trial was conducted with participants randomized to either the Internet-delivered ACT group (n=31) or a wait-list control group (n=30).
• Standardized self-report measures, including the Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly - S (HHIE-S), Quality of Life Inventory (QOLI), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7), were used for pre- and post-treatment assessments.
• Linear mixed effects regression analysis was employed for the intention-to-treat sample.

Main Results:

• The Internet-delivered ACT group showed significantly superior outcomes on the primary measure (HHIE-S) compared to the control group (Cohen's d = 0.93).
• Significant benefits were also observed in depression symptoms (Cohen's d = 0.61) and quality of life (Cohen's d = 0.88) for the treatment group over the control group.
• The intervention demonstrated feasibility and positive effects on psychological adjustment.

Conclusions:

• Internet-delivered ACT is a potentially effective treatment for psychological symptoms associated with hearing problems.
• This pilot study provides preliminary evidence supporting the use of digital mental health interventions for individuals with hearing impairments.