The lived experience of hearing loss: a systematic review with narrative synthesis

Abstract

Objective Hearing loss impacts all aspects of life, including communication, relationships, and psychosocial health. This review aimed to identify and synthesise existing research on the lived experience of adults with hearing loss. Design Using a logic model framework, the review explored four elements: social support, agency and capability, auditory lifeworld and patient centred care. The model informed search strategies across five databases. Narrative analysis and synthesis of the included papers drew on principles of thematic analysis to identify how each element of lived experience was described in the studies. Sample Of 8,137 studies screened, 62 papers met the inclusion criteria, of which 57 fulfilled inclusion for one category, and five papers fulfilled criteria for inclusion in two categories. Results The experience of hearing loss model was examined through research evidence derived from international studies. The components of the model described patterns in research evidence. Conclusion This systematic review and narrative synthesis provides a comprehensive description of the literature on the lived experience of hearing loss. Even with hearing care, the challenges of living with hearing loss persist. A deeper understanding of how hearing loss is experienced can guide audiological practice.

Publication DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/14992027.2025.2523902
Divisions: College of Health & Life Sciences > School of Optometry > Audiology
College of Health & Life Sciences
College of Health & Life Sciences > Aston Institute of Health & Neurodevelopment (AIHN)
Aston University (General)
Funding Information: This study is funded by an NIHR HSDR grant. (Funding stream REF NIHR131597).
Additional Information: Copyright © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group on behalf of British Society of Audiology, International Society of Audiology, and Nordic Audiological Society. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. The terms on which this article has been published allow the posting of the Accepted Manuscript in a repository by the author(s) or with their consent.
Uncontrolled Keywords: Hearing loss,adaptation,lived experience,psychosocial interventions,social stigma,systematic review,Language and Linguistics,Linguistics and Language,Speech and Hearing
Publication ISSN: 1708-8186
Last Modified: 15 Jul 2025 16:21
Date Deposited: 01 Jul 2025 16:35
Full Text Link:
Related URLs: https://www.tan ... 27.2025.2523902 (Publisher URL)
PURE Output Type: Review article
Published Date: 2025-06-30
Published Online Date: 2025-06-30
Accepted Date: 2025-06-16
Authors: Pryce, Helen (ORCID Profile 0000-0001-5183-6236)
Burns-O'Connell, Georgina (ORCID Profile 0000-0001-6430-8627)
Smith, Sian
Shaw, Rachel (ORCID Profile 0000-0002-0438-7666)

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