Estimating depression-free life expectancy in the hearing-impaired population in Brazil

Individuals with hearing impairments are more vulnerable to depression. According to the 2010 Brazilian Demographic Census, around 10 million people have some degree of hearing impairment. Brazil also ranks highest in depression among middle-income countries. The prevalence of mental health conditions in the Brazilian hearing-impaired population remains an understudied topic. This study aims to quantify the impact of depression on the life expectancy of the Brazilian population with hearing impairment. We used data from the 2019 edition of the National Health Survey and from the 2010 Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística, IBGE) Census to apply the Sullivan method (1971). Our results show that young women with severe hearing impairment are the population group that requires special attention due to the strong effect of depression on life expectancy. It is also possible that men have an underestimated prevalence of depression, which may obscure their years lived without depression. Targeted public policies are recommended to reduce communication barriers between patients, physicians, and other health professionals by promoting fluency in Brazilian Sign Language and knowledge of Deaf culture and their specific needs.