![\"\"](\"https:\/\/arizonahearing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/hearing-loss-and-depression.jpg\" "\\"hearing-loss-and-depression\\"")
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Untreated hearing loss<\/a> can cut individuals off from the rest of the world. This isolation can lead to a number of mental health disorders from depression and anxiety to loneliness and frustration.<\/p>\n A study by theNational Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)<\/a> found that moderate to severe depression occurs in 11.4 percent of adults with hearing loss, compared to only 5.9 percent in those without hearing loss. They also found that these feelings of depression are much stronger in women.<\/p>\n Seniors with hearing loss are very susceptible to feelings of loneliness and social isolation. Often, it seems easier to just choose to avoid social situations instead of becoming increasingly frustrated when they cannot understand the world around you. The National Council on the Aging (NCOA)<\/a> conducted a study that determined that those who used their hearing instruments were \u201cmore socially active and avoided periods of depression<\/a>, worry, paranoia and insecurity compared to non-users with hearing loss.\u201d<\/p>\n Cognitive decline is another serious problem for those with untreated hearing loss. Research conducted at Johns Hopkins University found that the individuals with severe hearing loss were more likely to develop dementia, compared to those with moderate hearing loss. Additional research is still being conducted to prove hearing loss can lead to cognitive decline or dementia; at the moment all studies have been able to do is show that there may be a correlation.<\/p>\nHearing Loss Associated with Depression<\/h3>\n