Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, Department of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, UK.
King's Centre for Military Health Research, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2022 Mar;57(3):563-573. doi: 10.1007/s00127-021-02169-8. Epub 2021 Sep 4.
Auditory problems, such as hearing loss and tinnitus, have been associated with mental health problems and alcohol misuse in the UK general population and in the US Armed Forces; however, few studies have examined these associations within the UK Armed Forces. The present study examined the association between auditory problems and probable common mental disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder and alcohol misuse.
5474 serving and ex-service personnel from the UK Armed Forces were examined, selected from those who responded to phase two (data collection 2007-09) and phase three (2014-16) of a military cohort study. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine the association between auditory problems at phase two and mental health problems at phase three.
9.7% of participants reported ever experiencing hearing problems alone, 7.9% reported tinnitus within the last month alone, and 7.8% reported hearing problems with tinnitus. After adjustment, hearing problems with tinnitus at phase two was associated with increased odds of probable common mental disorders (AOR = 1.50, 95% CI 1.09-2.08), post-traumatic stress disorder (AOR = 2.30, 95% CI 1.41-3.76), and alcohol misuse (AOR = 1.94, 95% CI 1.28-2.96) at phase three. Tinnitus alone was associated with probable post-traumatic stress disorder (AOR = 1.80, 95% CI 1.03-3.15); however, hearing problems alone were not associated with any outcomes of interest.
The association between auditory problems and mental health problems emphasises the importance of the prevention of auditory problems in the Armed Forces: through enhanced audiometric screening, improved hearing protection equipment, and greater levels of utilisation of such equipment.
在英国普通人群和美国武装部队中，听觉问题（如听力损失和耳鸣）与心理健康问题和酗酒有关；然而，很少有研究在英国武装部队中研究这些关联。本研究调查了听觉问题与可能的常见精神障碍、创伤后应激障碍和酗酒之间的关系。
从参加英国武装部队一项军事队列研究的第二阶段（数据收集 2007-09 年）和第三阶段（2014-16 年）的人员中，选择了 5474 名现役和退伍军人进行检查。多变量逻辑回归用于检查第二阶段听觉问题与第三阶段心理健康问题之间的关系。
9.7%的参与者报告曾单独经历过听力问题，7.9%报告仅在过去一个月内有耳鸣，7.8%报告有听力问题和耳鸣。调整后，第二阶段有耳鸣的听力问题与常见精神障碍（优势比[OR] = 1.50，95%置信区间[CI] 1.09-2.08）、创伤后应激障碍（OR = 2.30，95% CI 1.41-3.76）和酗酒（OR = 1.94，95% CI 1.28-2.96）的可能性增加相关。单独的耳鸣与可能的创伤后应激障碍有关（OR = 1.80，95% CI 1.03-3.15）；然而，单独的听力问题与任何感兴趣的结果无关。
听觉问题与心理健康问题之间的关联强调了预防武装部队中听觉问题的重要性：通过增强听力筛查、改进听力保护设备以及提高设备利用率。
