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Updated: Sep 8, 2025

Neuro-rehabilitation Approach for Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss
Published on: January 25, 2016
The Effect of an Apparent Hearing Device and Hearing Loss Degree on Social Appearance Anxiety and Self-Esteem
Halide Çetin Kara1, Burcu Deniz2, Talha Çögen3
1Department of Audiology, Cerrahpaşa Medical Faculty, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Türkiye.
Purpose:
Individuals with health loss may refrain from using medical products due to concerns about their appearance. This study aimed to examine the impact of hearing loss (HL) or the use of a hearing device (HD) on social appearance anxiety and self-esteem.
Method:
The study included 236 adults over the age of 18 years: 74 with normal hearing (NH), 44 with HL (not using HD), 62 with unilateral use of hearing aids (HAs), and 56 with unilateral use of cochlear implants (CIs). Each participant completed the self-esteem subscale of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) and the Social Appearance Anxiety Scale (SAAS).
Results:
While the SAAS scores of individuals with HL were significantly different from individuals with NH, there was no significant difference for the RSES scores. CI users had higher average SAAS scores compared to HA users. Furthermore, there was a significant negative correlation between SAAS and RSES scores for each group.
Conclusions:
HL and the use of a visible HD increase social appearance anxiety. Developing intervention programs for those with HL who have social appearance anxiety can improve their participation in social interaction and increase their self-esteem.
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