Effects of hearing aid use on self concept in older persons

The present study was designed to determine if self concept as measured in an older group of hearing-impaired individuals who had adjusted successfully to hearing aid use might be different from that of a similar group who had not yet begun such a rehabilitation process. The Tennessee Self Concept Scale (TSCS), a standardized and multipurpose instrument, was used for appraisal of self concept. In addition, a secondary procedure was the assessment of communicative efficiency by use of a questionnaire relating to various diverse listening situations. The major finding emerging from the present study showed the hearing aid group higher in overall self concept compared to a similar group who had not begun hearing aid use. This finding suggested that improvement in communicative efficiency, achieved through use of appropriate wearable amplification, may bear some relation to the self image of older hearing-impaired individuals.