Behavioural hearing tactics: a controlled trial of a short treatment programme

Nineteen elderly hearing impaired subjects participated in an experimental treatment study and received either behavioural hearing tactics or served as untreated controls. Treatment was supplied in the form of a self-help treatment manual supplied with telephone contacts during 4 consecutive weeks. The treatment manual included applied relaxation, communication strategies training, advice to relatives, information, and coping skills. Assessments (pre-post) were conducted in a structured interview measuring coping behaviour. In order to evoke behavioural compensation small acoustic provocations were included in the interview. Pre-post assessments also included questionnaires, daily registered hearing problems, and hours of daily hearing aid use. Results showed significant beneficial effects in favour of the treatment in terms of self-assessed problems and behaviour change.