Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research 2007/1. [antikvár]

Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research Vol. 9, No. 1, 1-13. 2007 I) Routledge Tayior 6. Francis Group Hearing Impairment, Sense of Humour and Communication Strategies ANNE-SOFIE HELVIK* **, GEIR JACOBSEN**, SVEN SVEBAKf & LILLEMOR R.-M. HALLBERG* ENT Department, St Olavs University Hospitál of Trondheim, Department of Public Health and General Practice, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, +Department of Neuromedicine, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway, *School of Social and Health Services, Halmstad University, Sweden Abstract One purpose of this study was to clescribe sense of humour and communication strategies in a generál population of adults who needed hearing aid (HA) fitting or refitting. Another purpose was to explore the correlation between characteristics of hearing impairment (Hl), sense of humour, and other participant characteristics and the communication strategies as outcome. Consecutive patients (n =343) at the Department of Audiology during 1 year completed the Sense of Humour Questionnaire-6 (SHQ-6) and the Communication Strategies Scale (CSS with maladaptive behaviour, verbal and non-verbal strategies). It was found that a high sense of humour was related to female gender and younger age. In multiple regression analyses, use of nonverbal communication strategies was more prevalent among females and increased with younger age, longer duration of Hl, and previous HA experience. Use of verbal communication strategies and maladaptive communication behaviour increased with increasing Hl. Use of verbal strategies wasfurther associated with younger age and previous HA experience. Frequent use of maladaptive behaviour was related to younger age, longer duration of Hl and less sense of humour. Maladaptive behaviour, alternatively expressed as negatíve reactions to stressful events in communication, was negatively associated with sense of humour. This study may indicate a role for sense of humour in prevention of maladaptive behaviour. It may alsó improve our understanding of what factors influence the use of communication strategies. For individuals with hearing impairment (Hl), daily coping in terms of cognitive and behavioural efforts aimed at minimizing, reducing, or tolerating threats (Lazarus & Folkman 1984), is centred on their demanding auditory situation. Use of communication-specific coping strategies, stich as lip-reading, remaining silent and asking for repetition, is widespread (Dancer, Krain, Thompson, Davis & Glenn 1994, Hallberg & Carlsson