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Self-reported auditory problems are associated with adverse mental health outcomes and alcohol misuse in the UK Armed
Fred N H Parker1, Nicola T Fear2,3, S A M Stevelink2,4
1Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, Department of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, UK. freddie.parker@kcl.ac.uk.
Purpose:
Auditory problems, such as hearing loss and tinnitus, have been associated with mental health problems and alcohol misuse in the UK general population and in the US Armed Forces; however, few studies have examined these associations within the UK Armed Forces. The present study examined the association between auditory problems and probable common mental disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder and alcohol misuse.
Methods:
5474 serving and ex-service personnel from the UK Armed Forces were examined, selected from those who responded to phase two (data collection 2007-09) and phase three (2014-16) of a military cohort study. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine the association between auditory problems at phase two and mental health problems at phase three.
Results:
9.7% of participants reported ever experiencing hearing problems alone, 7.9% reported tinnitus within the last month alone, and 7.8% reported hearing problems with tinnitus. After adjustment, hearing problems with tinnitus at phase two was associated with increased odds of probable common mental disorders (AOR = 1.50, 95% CI 1.09-2.08), post-traumatic stress disorder (AOR = 2.30, 95% CI 1.41-3.76), and alcohol misuse (AOR = 1.94, 95% CI 1.28-2.96) at phase three. Tinnitus alone was associated with probable post-traumatic stress disorder (AOR = 1.80, 95% CI 1.03-3.15); however, hearing problems alone were not associated with any outcomes of interest.
Conclusions:
The association between auditory problems and mental health problems emphasises the importance of the prevention of auditory problems in the Armed Forces: through enhanced audiometric screening, improved hearing protection equipment, and greater levels of utilisation of such equipment.
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