In adults, if often leads to severe disruption of social links which very frequently results in depression. All together, in Europe, the financial cost of hearing impairment has been estimated to be €78 billion per year (based on average of €3,500 per patient annual costs for special education, speech therapy, hearing aids, physician and specialists fees, and other expenses). This is more than the combined economic costs of epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, spinal injury, stroke and Parkinson's disease.
Ce montant est supérieur aux coûts économiques cumulés de l'épilepsie, de la sclérose en plaques, de la traumatologie spinale, des accidents vasculaires cérébraux et de la maladie de Parkinson.