'I'm confused about what my problems actually are'

: Managing King-Kopetzky syndrome

Abstract

Why do some people complain of hearing difficulties when their hearing thresholds are normal? How should Audiology professionals respond to their presentation?

This problem will be considered in the light of the literature from audiology, psychology, and medical sociology disciplines. The different evidence for and implications of bio-medical and bio psychosocial explanations for such experiences are discussed. In particular the role of help seeking is considered as a coping mechanism and as a key part of the diagnostic case definition applied to this population of audiology patients.

Two original studies will be presented which consider this phenomenon from different viewpoints. The first explored the lived experience of the patient who is coping with hearing difficulties and investigated how seeking help forms part of the process of coping. The second study attempted to quantify the role of illness beliefs and audiological factors in the determination of whether or not someone will seek help with hearing difficulties that they experience. The two different ontological viewpoints have contributed complimentary findings that are presented in themed sections.

The contribution of this work to the understanding of the biological, psychological and social factors in medically unexplained hearing difficulties is discussed. The implications for both future research and current clinical practice are considered.

Date of Award	1 Feb 2009
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Bath
Supervisor	David Wainwright (Supervisor)