"Article Copyright 2012 The Authors."
"Published edition Copyright 2012 Australian Academic Press. Published version of the paper reproduced here with permission from the publisher."The aim of this grounded theory (GT) study was to gain insight into adult participants’ perceptions of a group aural rehabilitation (AR) program. The partici-pant group for this in-depth interview-based study were 8 female and 2 male adults with acquired hearing losses who had completed an introductory group AR course conducted by South Australian organisation Hearing Solutions (now Guide Dogs of South Australia and Northern Territory Hearing Services) in the prior 12 months. Semistructured interviews were carried out and analysed using GT methodology. The core category (Empowerment through improved self-image) describes the overall main benefit the partici-pants reported from attending the course. Six descriptive categories were found that underpinned the core category: Improved understanding of communication strategies, Improved social relation-ships, Course satisfaction, Personal validation from social interaction, Decreased emotional isolation, and Improved self-confidence. An additional three descriptive categories were discovered that related to factors that motivated people to attend the course: Motivation for change, Hearing difficulties, and Negative self-perceptions of hearing loss. The current study provides a model for understanding how these factors may interrelate, and highlights the importance of motivation and group interaction in obtaining positive outcomes in A
