Hearing loss is often blamed for loneliness. This study checked the reverse.
People say: “Loneliness is a result of hearing loss” We read the study.
Meta-analysis of cohort studies. 11,396 people. loneliness measured 2008/2010 (HRS) and 2004/2005 (ELSA); hearing tested 2016/2018 (HRS) and 2014/2015 (ELSA), i.e. 8-10 years later.
Many studies, added up. People were watched, not told what to do. A clue, not proof.
Who: adults aged 50-93 in the US (HRS n=7,389; 60.6% women; mean age 65.2) and England (ELSA n=4,007; 57.5% women; mean age 62.8) with complete loneliness and follow-up hearing data; fully adjusted models n=6,286 (HRS) + 2,920 (ELSA)
- Hearing impairmenthigherhigher odds
- Test tones heardfewer8-10 years later
- Reverse directionnoneno clear link
More to know, from our read of the paper:
- Observational (linked, not proven); authors: 'The observational design of this study limits any causal interpretations'
- No objective hearing test at baseline, so change in hearing could not be tested; reverse causation only partly addressed (association held after controlling for self-rated hearing at baseline, and was absent among people who already rated their hearing poor)
- In the fully adjusted model the acuity link was not significant in HRS alone (beta -0.023, p=.055); hearing-impairment link was significant in both samples (HRS OR 1.067, p=.043; ELSA OR 1.122, p=.017)
- Age-stratified results were inconsistent (e.g. no association in 60-69 in either sample; 70+ significant in ELSA only); interactions mostly null
- Attrition: people with follow-up hearing data were less lonely, younger and more educated than those without
Small link, both countries. Linked, not proven.
Over 11,000 adults aged 50 and older in the US and England rated how lonely they felt, and 8 to 10 years later had their hearing screened with six test tones. Lonelier people heard fewer tones and had higher odds of hearing impairment, even after accounting for smoking, diabetes, blood pressure, inflammation, depression and social isolation. The link was small and hearing was not tested at the start, so this is linked, not proven. Poorer hearing showed no clear link to becoming lonely later.
Stephan Y, Sutin AR, Luchetti M, Karakose S, O'Súilleabháin PS, Terracciano A (2026). The prospective association between loneliness and markers of hearing function among middle-aged and older adults in Europe and the US. Journal of Psychosomatic Research.
Design: Meta-analysis of cohort studies · prospective analysis of two population cohorts (US Health and Retirement Study, English Longitudinal Study of Ageing), results combined by random-effects meta-analysis; loneliness at baseline, objective hearing screening 8-10 years later (linked, not proven)
DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2026.112651
Goals:
We read the abstract and the full text of this paper and checked every number on this page against it (15 facts, checked on 2026-10-29). The study design is named above. Cohort and other observational studies are described as linked, not proven. Found an error? Email theis@onestudyaday.com.
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