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Introduction Hearing loss (HL) affects 12 million UK adults, including 70% of those aged over 70 years. It is associated with social isolation, anxiety, and depression. Furthermore, HL in midlife is the largest modifiable risk factor for dementia. However, many individuals delay or avoid treatment. This may be due to limited understanding of HL amongst the public, and the considerable stigma surrounding HL and hearing aids. The media play a crucial role in shaping public perceptions of age-related conditions. Therefore, this study investigated representations of HL in UK newspapers, especially representations of the relationship between HL and mental health. Method Using Nexis (a news database), 7173 newspaper articles featuring HL between May 2022-May 2023 were retrieved. Following screening, 20 articles were analysed using multimodal critical discourse analysis. This qualitative approach regards communicative choices (here, images and text) as able to both reflect and shape society, including propagating or challenging stigma. A Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) panel contributed to study design and data interpretation. Results Most articles featured young adults with HL, particularly celebrities. Whilst this could challenge the stereotype that HL only affects older adults, it could also increase the invisibility of older adults in the media. Many articles contained inspirational stories, which may help reduce the stigma of HL. However, some people with HL do not want to be portrayed differently to other people. Some articles discussed HL and mental health, especially its association with dementia, loneliness, and depression. PPI contributors indicated that newspapers should provide diverse HL representations and should help improve public awareness of this condition, especially its impact on mental health. Discussion This research has important implications for clinicians, researchers, charities, the media, and all those who communicate with the public about H

This systematic review and meta-analysis examined the efficacy of auditory training and cognitive training to improve cognitive function in adults with hearing loss. A literature search of academic databases (e.g., MEDLINE, Scopus) and gray literature (e.g., OpenGrey) identified relevant articles published up to January 25, 2018. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) or repeated measures designs were included. Outcome effects were computed as Hedge’s g and pooled using random-effects meta-analysis (PROSPERO: CRD42017076680). Nine studies, five auditory training, and four cognitive training met the inclusion criteria. Following auditory training, the pooled effect was small and statistically significant for both working memory (g = 0.21; 95% CI [0.05, 0.36]) and overall cognition (g = 0.19; 95% CI [0.07, 0.31]). Following cognitive training, the pooled effect for working memory was small and statistically significant (g = 0.34; 95% CI [0.16, 0.53]), and the pooled effect for overall cognition was large and significant (g = 1.03; 95% CI [0.41, 1.66]). However, this was dependent on the classification of training approach. Sensitivity analyses revealed no statistical difference between the effectiveness of auditory and cognitive training for improving cognition upon removal of a study that used a combined auditory–cognitive approach, which showed a very large effect. Overall certainty in the estimation of effect was “low” for auditory training and “very low” for cognitive training. High-quality RCTs are needed to determine which training stimuli will provide optimal conditions to improve cognition in adults with hearing loss.