Accessing Mental Health Services for People with Hearing Loss: A Scoping Review (Protocol)

Individuals with hearing loss are at a higher risk of experiencing mental health conditions compared to those without hearing loss and tend to exhibit a reduction in help-seeking behaviours. While current literature frequently addresses the experiences of individuals who are culturally Deaf, there is limited information regarding the utilisation of mental health care services by those with acquired hearing loss. This scoping review will aim to identify, analyse, and map the existing literature on the barriers and enablers that affect access to mental health care services for individuals with acquired hearing loss, as well as highlight existing gaps in the literature to inform future research. The scoping review will follow the Population Concept and Context (PCC) framework, focusing on adults with acquired hearing loss, while excluding studies on culturally Deaf individuals and those under 18. The concept focuses on mental health care services, and the context explores the barriers and enablers influencing access to these services. A three-step search strategy will be used to locate relevant literature from electronic databases, including EBSCOHost and PsycINFO. Studies published in the last 10 years that are written in English or with an English translation will be included. Data will be extracted using a modified JBI tool and analysed through basic qualitative content analysis with a deductive approach, applying the Candidacy Framework. Findings will be presented both in table format alongside a narrative synthesis to describe the results.