Mental health, life satisfaction and attachment of individuals with hearing loss in Slovenia

Abstract

The aim of the study was to examine the association between being hard of hearing, mental health, life satisfaction, and attachment in adults in Slovenia. The study included 317 participants, of whom 109 were individuals who are hard of hearing and 208 were hearing individuals. Participants completed questionnaires measuring levels of anxiety and avoidance according to attachment theory (ECR-R), life satisfaction (LiSAT-9), and mental health (MHC-SF). Independent samples t-test results showed no statistically significant differences between hard-of-hearing and hearing individuals in levels of attachment-related anxiety and avoidance, life satisfaction, or mental health. The limitations of the study include the non-representativeness of the sample, high heterogeneity within the group of hard-of-hearing individuals, and characteristics of online data collection. Despite these limitations, the results contribute to understanding the life experiences of hard-of-hearing individuals in Slovenia and highlight the need for further qualitative and longitudinal research, which remains scarce in this field.