Research explores support for veterans with hearing impairments

Members of the armed forces are likely to be exposed to noise ranging from small arms fire to blasts from explosive devices, regardless of the amount of time spent in the services. As a result, hearing damage is one of the less visible but most common injuries sustained as a outcome of military service, yet there has been limited research carried out in the UK.

Previous research by the Royal British Legion found working age veterans were over three times more likely than the wider population to report hearing difficulty, with other international studies further demonstrating the need for research to examine the extent and impact of this issue, potentially affecting hundreds of thousands of veterans in the UK.

The Centre is asking veterans with hearing impairments acquired whilst in service to participate in a survey being distributed throughout the UK. The findings from the research will help to further support the veteran population with hearing impairments.

Dr Alan Finnegan, Professor of Nursing and Military Mental Health and Director of the Westminster Centre for Veterans’ Research at the University of Chester, said: “We are very pleased to be working with the Royal British Legion to deliver this vital research project which aims to support veterans suffering from hearing damage. We encourage as many veterans as possible to participate.”

For more information visit here RBL Hearing Survey (onlinesurveys.ac.uk)