Risk of new-onset depressive disorders after hearing impairment in adults: A nationwide retrospective cohort study

Previous studies reported that hearing impairment has been associated with depressive disorders, but little is known about the risk of newly diagnosed depression after hearing impairment diagnosed by a physician and registered with the government. We evaluated the risk of new-onset depressive disorders following hearing impairment in adults. We used data from the Korean National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort and included adults with hearing impairment, and a comparison group without hearing impairment, selected by a 1:3 propensity score matching between 2004 and 2012. The dependent variable was a depressive disorder diagnosis. The hazard ratio of risk of depression was estimated using a Cox proportional hazard model. In the sample of 14,212 adults, 15.0% of people with hearing impairment (n = 3,553) experienced a depressive disorder following their hearing impairment. Those who had not experienced depression previously were more likely to develop a new-onset depressive disorder following hearing impairment than the comparison group. Male, female, old adults (60–74 years) and very-old adults (≥ 75 years) with hearing impairment were associated with an increased risk for a new-onset depressive disorders than their matched counterparts. These findings suggest a need for psychological support along with hearing rehabilitation, especially for older adults.