Social exclusion, mental health and suicidal ideation among adults with hearing loss: protective and risk factors.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate social exclusion, mental health and demographic characteristics as risk and protective factors of suicidal ideation among adults with hearing loss. .

METHODS: This analytical, cross-sectional study was conducted in Lahore, Pakistan, from June 2016 to January 2017, and comprised people with hearing loss. Multistage proportionate stratified sampling procedure was used. Mental Health Inventory, Social Exclusion Scale and Suicidal Ideation Attributes Scale were administered to the participants.

RESULTS: Of the 415 subjects, 246(59.3%) were males and 169(40.8%) females. Suicidal ideation was significantly and positively related to social exclusion (p<0.001), psychological distress (p<0.001), age (p<0.001)) and severity of hearing loss (p<0.05), whereas a significant negative relationship of suicidal ideation (p<0.05) was observed with psychological well-being. Hierarchical regression analysis indicated social exclusion (p<0.001), psychological distress (p<0.001), age (p<0.001), severity of hearing loss (p<0.001) and gender (p<0.001) as significant positive predictors (risk factors), whereas psychological well-being (p<0.05)) was a significant negative predictor (protective factor) of suicidal ideation.

CONCLUSIONS: Social exclusion, psychological distress, severity of hearing loss and age were risk factors, whereas psychological well-being was a protective factor regarding suicidal ideation.