CROSS-CULTURAL ADAPTATION, RELIABILITY, AND VALIDITY OF THE TURKISH VERSION OF THE ACCEPTANCE AND ACTION QUESTIONNAIRE-ADULT HEARING LOSS

¹İstanbul Aydın Üniversitesi, Sağlık Bilimleri Fakültesi, Odyoloji Bölümü, Istanbul, Türkiye
²İstanbul Aydın Üniversitesi, , Lisansüstü Eğitim Enstitüsü, Odyoloji Anabilim Dalı, Istanbul, Türkiye Hearing loss has become a greater public health concern every day. Hearing loss among adults leads to social isolation, lower quality of life, negative impact on overall health and psychosocial problems. Identifying the negative emotions and thoughts of patients can accelerate the process of accepting hearing loss and the necessary intervention. The Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (AAQ) is the most widely used scale to assess experiential avoidance and psycho-logical flexibility. The aim of this study is to evaluate the applicability of the AAQ-AHL to adults by adapting it to Turkish and testing its validity and reliability. This is a methodological observational validation study in adults over 18. Participants consisted of 181 adults diagnosed with hearing loss. The Turkish version of the AAQ-AHL is a valid and highly reliable tool that can be used to assess psychological flexibility in individuals with hearing loss. It would help audiologists to understand better their patients' emotions and thoughts related to their hearing loss and provide the best solution to the needs of their patients in creating person-centred care. Keywords : Hearing Loss, Hearing Aid, Psychological Flexibility, Acceptance