KAP of Indian Audiologists for Psychosocial Needs of Adults with Hearing Loss

Srishti Munjal, P. G. Bhargavi*, Bellur Rajashekhar

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Introduction: Hearing loss results in the breakdown of communication by affecting the ability to engage socially, leading to isolation socially and emotionally. The combination of behavioral, social, emotional, and psychological consequences is expressed as the “psychosocial” impacts of hearing loss. The aim of the study was to determine the knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAPs) of Indian audiologists in addressing the psychosocial needs of persons with hearing loss. The objectives are to develop and validate the KAP questionnaire for Indian audiologists and to assess the KAP of Indian audiologists toward the psychosocial needs of persons with hearing loss. Method: This study included 332 participants in the age group of 25-60 years with a minimum of 2 years of working experience and was divided into 2 phases. The first phase was a qualitative study that focused on the development and validation of the questionnaire including 3 domains. The second phase was a cross-sectional survey of administering the developed questionnaire to audiologists pan-India through social media platforms using Google Forms. Results: The results revealed that in the knowledge domain, percentage scores of good, fair, and poor knowledge of audiologists were 46.98%, 40.06%, and 12.95%, respectively. In the attitude domain, percentage scores for positive (81.32%), neutral (17.46%), and negative (1.2%) attitudes to address psychosocial needs were noted. Further, in the practice domain, it was 73.49% for good practice, 23.7% for fair practice, and 2.71% for poor practice. Conclusion: The outcome of the study clearly revealed the need to expand audiological services for considering and managing the psychological factors caused by hearing loss causing communication problems. Audiologists have evinced interest in attaining more knowledge to improve the attitude they hold and enhance their practice skills. This will enable them to address such needs carefully and provide the best possible counseling and referrals, contributing to overall well-being and quality of life.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)529-537
Number of pages9
JournalFolia Phoniatrica et Logopaedica
Volume76
Issue number6
DOIs
Publication statusAccepted/In press - 2024

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Language and Linguistics
  • Linguistics and Language
  • Speech and Hearing
  • LPN and LVN

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