May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and it is also Better Hearing and Speech Month. We are increasingly aware of how hearing well affects our overall well-being, both physically and mentally.

By Grace Fairchild

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, social isolation meant staying home to avoid catching the virus. However, long before the pandemic, social isolation has been used by social workers and psychologists to describe someone’s disconnect from the people or community around them.

People experiencing social isolation may feel lonely, anxious, depressed, helpless, hyper-independent, or like they are alone/against the rest of the world. Many people facing social isolation do not even realize that they are. However, this disconnect impacts more than 1 in 10 people, as of 2021, which is an increase from pre-pandemic rates.

Earlier this month the U.S. surgeon general Vivek Murthy, M.D., warned of an epidemic of loneliness, which is associated with a greater risk of heart attacks, depression, diabetes, crime, and premature death. (Murthy has shared his own experience overcoming loneliness.)

Because of communication challenges, those with hearing loss may be even more likely to feel socially isolated, which can lead to worsened physical and mental health as well as avoidance of social situations. 

But, what can be done? While there is no cure-all for social isolation, there are many resources and strategies that individuals experiencing hearing loss can use to feel less isolated. 

4 Strategies

1) Use technology to stay connected, not to stay isolated. The pandemic forced a majority of the population to become regular users of social media, video chat apps, and delivery services. Many of these technologies will stick around for decades to come, but research has indicated that they have mixed effects on social isolation. 

Messaging apps and social media allow individuals to stay connected without the complexities of in-person interactions. These can be great for individuals experiencing hearing loss, who may struggle with face-to-face communication. Remote in-home video communication can be optimized to one’s own needs in terms of microphone use, lighting, ability to see one other’s faces, and reduced environmental noise.

But there can also be problems due to internet connectivity, microphone failures, and lagging sound/video combinations—all of which can make communication difficult for those with hearing loss. Online communication should encourage connections, not make them harder.

In addition, reliance on delivery apps (groceries, restaurants) can also increase social isolation. Just a brief, friendly interaction with a grocery store clerk or diner waitress can make you feel less isolated. 

2) Support systems have resumed, so resume your participation in them. Support groups may have paused during the pandemic, but a vast majority of these groups have resumed service, whether in person or online or both.

Participation in support groups can reduce social isolation, improve poor mental health, and provide pathways toward friendships. There may also be support groups for caregivers living with someone with a hearing loss, which can help address any unwillingness of communication partners to adapt to the needs of a person with hearing loss, which can strain the relationship. 

Ask your audiologist about group audiology sessions. You would be surprised how many other patients have the same questions, struggles, and frustrations that you do. Similar to support groups, group audiology sessions help reduce social isolation and feelings of loneliness. 

3) The great outdoors are great. Throughout studies of social isolation during the pandemic, it was found that patients who experienced low levels of isolation had taken the time to explore the outdoors, from walks around the block to National Park visits. Just a short walk around the neighborhood with a friend or family member can help reduce feelings of isolation.

Exercise has long been recognized as an effective way to curb feelings of depression and anxiety. Regular physical activity is a proven way to break free from feelings of isolation. If you have not been active lately, start with low-impact activities such as walking or gardening, and consider working up to cycling, hiking, or playing pickleball.

4) School’s in session. Attending a hearing aid workshop, speechreading (lipreading) class, or sign language course can simultaneously help you improve communication as well as reduce feelings of isolation.

Everyone in these courses is learning, just like you. They are a great way to make friends, learn a new skill, prevent misunderstandings, and be more connected to the world around you. Many students who enroll in communication-focused classes find an additional benefit: These classes are enjoyable and lead to lifelong friendships. Staff in these classes are accustomed to working with those experiencing hearing loss. They should have the experience and resources needed to make adaptations and accommodations that best suit your needs. 

And a 5th Strategy for “Medical Isolation”

There is a specific type of social isolation that is more prevalent within the hearing loss community. “Medical isolation” occurs when patients feel little or no control over their health due to communication challenges with caregivers. Communication difficulties between hearing doctors and patients with hearing loss cause this to be extremely common. But medical isolation can be dramatically reduced with some preparation.

Ask for accommodations that help you, as the patient, participate in your medical treatment—after all, it is your own health that is at stake.

But since these conversations can be difficult due to communication misunderstandings or what can feel like the brief nature of patient-doctor interactions, below is a medical accommodation card that gives you a framework for communicating and can help you self-advocate:

Every accommodation on this sheet comes from one of 12 medical isolation reduction research studies. Simply indicate the accommodations help you, as a patient, be an active participant in your medical care. 

If you rely on American Sign Language, you have the right to an ASL interpreter. Hearing aid users may benefit most from background noise reduction strategies, including FM listening systems (also known as radio aids) or soundproofed rooms. Those who rely on speechreading may benefit from having providers speak only while facing them, with their mouths visible. Summarized notes or the inclusion of family members may help fill in understanding gaps after the appointment. 

Telehealth and in-person appointments each have their pros and cons for those with hearing loss. Only you know what works best for you. And, lastly, doctor’s offices, hospitals, social workers, and other caregivers likely have special knowledge of local resources that may best aid you. It never hurts to ask. If there is an accommodation that you need that is not listed, please add it to the blank box on the bottom right.

Grace Fairchild is a College of Charleston undergraduate student double majoring in public health and sociology and minoring in linguistics. Following graduation in the spring of 2024, she hopes to attend audiology school. Please send her feedback on the medical accommodation card at fairchildgk@g.cofc.edu.

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