Objective To investigate the effects of health distress on depression and anxiety among the middle-aged and elderly hearing-impaired people, and to explore the mediating effect of social capital, so as to provide an evidence for the implementation of appropriate interventions.

Methods A face-to-face self-designed questionnaire survey was conducted on 271 middle-aged and elderly hearing-impaired people aged 50 years and above in Shanghai from September 2021 to February 2022, including the general information of the subjects, social capital scale, hospital anxiety and depression scale, and health distress scale. The higher the total scores of the social capital scale, the higher level of social capital. Higher scores on the hospital anxiety and depression scale indicate more severe anxiety and depression, and scores >7 points were used to define an anxiety or depression status. The higher scores of the health distress scale, the worse the health condition of the respondents. Univariate and multivariate linear regression models were used to investigate the effects of health distress on depression and anxiety, and the mediating effects were used to test the mediating role of social capital between health distress and depression and anxiety.

Results The mean scores of depression, anxiety, social capital and health distress among the middle-aged and elderly hearing-impaired people aged 50 years and above were (11.063±5.892), (58.391±15.273) and (6.384±4.787) points, respectively. Health distress scores were positively correlated with social capital scores, health distress was positively correlated with depression and anxiety, while social capital was negatively correlated with depression and anxiety (all P<0.05). Social capital had masking effects on the relationship between health distress, depression and anxiety (all P<0.05), which accounted for 24.11% and 18.93% in the effects of depression and anxiety, respectively.

Conclusion The levels of depression and anxiety are higher among the middle-aged and elderly hearing-impaired people aged 50 years and above, and health distress can affect the levels of depression and anxiety through social capital. Health workers should take measures to reduce health distress and improve social capital among the middle-aged and elderly hearing-impaired people, so as to further alleviate the occurrence and development of depression and anxiety.