Hearing impairment, psychological resilience, and physical functioning among older Chinese adults: Implications for social work practice

Age-related hearing loss is prevalent and is associated with diminished physical performance. In Chinese community settings, social work practitioners have the potential to implement psychosocial interventions for older adults with hearing impairment (HI), which could help to mitigate the burden of HI. This longitudinal study is based on a stress-processing theoretical framework and aims to examine the association between self-perceived HI and physical functioning. It also evaluates the potential mediating role of psychological resilience. The sample consisted of 32,207 community-dwelling older Chinese adults aged 65 years and over. The results showed that HI was associated with five domains of physical decline, with psychological resilience partially mediating between 3.9% and 14.1% of the total effect. This special population may benefit from resilience-based interventions to prevent hearing loss and manage physical functional decline caused by hearing-related stress, which provide insights for social work practice and education.