The link between hearing loss, hearing aid use, and emotional health.

Hearing-related behavior and its relationship to hearing aid use and social-emotional health outcomes

NIH-funded research University of Wisconsin-Madison · NIH-10954721

This study looks at how hearing loss can lead to feelings of loneliness and depression, and it wants to find out if using hearing aids can help improve emotional well-being for people with hearing loss.

Quick facts

Grant typeR21 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Madison, United States)
Project IDNIH-10954721 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

This research investigates how hearing loss affects social-emotional health, particularly focusing on loneliness and depression. It aims to understand the reasons behind the association between untreated hearing loss and negative emotional outcomes. The study will explore whether using hearing aids can mitigate these risks and how hearing-related behaviors influence emotional well-being. By employing innovative methods to measure real-world hearing-related behaviors, the research seeks to provide insights that could enhance audiologic interventions.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates for this research are adults over the age of 21 who experience hearing loss and may be struggling with social-emotional health issues.

Not a fit: Patients who do not have hearing loss or those who are not affected by social-emotional health issues may not benefit from this research.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved strategies for using hearing aids to enhance emotional health in individuals with hearing loss.

How similar studies have performed: Previous research has indicated a potential link between hearing loss and emotional health, but this specific approach to understanding hearing-related behavior is relatively novel.

Where this research is happening

Madison, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions age associated diseaseage associated disorderage dependent diseaseage dependent disorderage related human disease
Last reviewed 2026-06-15 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.