The impact of hearing loss on trajectories of depressive symptoms in married couples

Abstract

Hearing loss is a prevalent chronic stressor among older adults and is associated with numerous adverse health outcomes. The life course principle of linked lives highlights that an individual's stressors can impact the health and well-being of others; however, there are limited large-scale studies examining hearing loss within marital dyads. Using 11 waves (1998-2018) of the Health and Retirement Study (n = 4881 couples), we estimate age-based mixed models to examine how 1) one's own hearing, 2) one's spouse's hearing, or 3) both spouses' hearing influence changes in depressive symptoms. For men, their wives' hearing loss, their own hearing loss, and both spouses having hearing loss are associated with increased depressive symptoms. For women, their own hearing loss and both spouses having hearing loss are associated with increased depressive symptoms, but their husbands' hearing loss is not. The connections between hearing loss and depressive symptoms within couples are a dynamic process that unfolds differently by gender over time.

Keywords: Depressive symptoms; Health and Retirement Study; Hearing loss; Life course; Linked lives; Spouses.

Figure 1.. Depressive Symptoms Across Age by Gender (n=4,881 couples)

Note: CES-D, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Estimates were calculated from Model 2 in Appendices B and C.

Figure 2.. Age-Related Changes in Depressive Symptoms Associated with Hearing Loss in Married Men and Women (n=4,881 couples)

Note: HL, hearing loss; CES-D, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Estimates were calculated from Model 4 in Tables 2 and 3. ^a Wife’s hearing loss intercept coefficient significant p<.05; ^b Husband’s hearing loss intercept coefficient significant p<.05; ^c Both spouses’ hearing loss intercept coefficient significant p<.05; ^d Both spouses’ hearing loss slope coefficient significant at p<.05.