Objectives: Mental-health issues accounted for 418 million disability-adjusted life years in 2019, costing the world economy approximately US$5 trillion. Untreated hearing loss is a well-known modifiable risk factor for mental-health issues, with severe-to-profound hearing loss having the largest impact. Therefore, treatment of severe-to-profound hearing loss, namely with cochlear implantation, could help to alleviate psychological distress. However, previous studies have failed to include comprehensive measures of mental health or adequate controls. The current study thus aimed to conduct a controlled, longitudinal investigation of how cochlear implantation affects depression, anxiety, and stress levels. Participants: Participants were 87 adults assigned to conditions based on hearing status: normal hearing ( n = 44), received cochlear implant ( n = 26), or untreated hearing loss ( n = 17). Main Outcome Measures: The short-form Depression Anxiety Stress Scale was given at four timepoints (baseline, three months, six months, 12 months). Data were analysed with linear mixed-effects modelling. Results: Results showed that cochlear implants helped to stabilise anxiety and stress symptoms, while depression symptoms were observed to worsen over time despite treatment. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that treatment of severe-to-profound hearing loss with cochlear implantation can help to alleviate associated anxiety and stress symptoms; associated depressive symptoms did not benefit. Due to the current study’s non-randomised treatment allocation, future randomised controlled trials are required for confirmation. The present findings help inform clinical and societal interventions for mental-health issues associated with hearing loss.

Purpose: To determine the proportion of Australians dispensed psychotropic medications between 2013 and 2022 according to their age. Methods: Services Australia provided a de-identified 10% random Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) sample that allowed us to determine the proportion of Australians dispensed at least one script per year for the use of antipsychotics, antidepressants, anxiolytics, and hypnotics. The classification of medications followed Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) coding. Participants were stratified into 10-year age groups from 0-9 to ≥90 years, and sex was coded as male/female. We used logit models to analyse the data. Results: The number of records per year ranged from 1,540,520 to 1,746,402, and 54.10% were for females. A greater proportion of older adults, particularly those aged ≥70 years, were dispensed antipsychotics, antidepressants, anxiolytics, and hypnotics than any other age-group. The proportion of people dispensed antipsychotics, anxiolytics, and hypnotics declined between 2013 and 2022, but increased for antidepressants, most markedly for adolescents and young adults. Females were more frequently dispensed antidepressants, anxiolytics, and hypnotics than males, but males were more frequently dispensed antipsychotics than females. Conclusions: Older age groups and females are the most frequent recipients of psychotropic medications dispensed in Australia. The organisation and resourcing of health services should reflect this reality.