The link between hearing loss, hearing aid use, and emotional health.
Official title: Hearing-related behavior and its relationship to hearing aid use and social-emotional health outcomes
Funded at University of Wisconsin-Madison · NIH-10954721 · Data updated 2026-11-12
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 type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Wisconsin-Madison NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Madison, United States) |
| Project start | December 1, 2023 |
| Project end | November 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $187,715 |
| NIH project number | 5R21DC021512-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-10954721 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
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.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who do not have hearing loss or those who are not affected by social-emotional health issues may not benefit from this research.
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.
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 gone: 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
-
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Madison, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Jorgensen, Erik Jorgen — University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Study coordinator: Jorgensen, Erik Jorgen
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.