Distinguishing levels of tinnitus distress

Health and Quality of Life Outcomes, 2012

Background: Tinnitus research in an international context requires standardized and validated questionnaires in different languages. The aim of the present set of analyses was the reassessment of basic psychometric properties according to classical test theory of self-report instruments that are being used within the multicentre Tinnitus Research Initiative (TRI) database project.

Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 2020

The original 52-item version of the Tinnitus Questionnaire (TQ) is a widely applied self-report instrument to measure tinnitus-related distress. One objective of the current study was the validation of the reported five-factor structure of the German TQ in a new, large sample of patients with chronic tinnitus. Since former studies have yielded conflicting results for the factor structure of the 12-item short version (Mini-TQ), analysis of its factor structure and the generation of a new short version were further study aims. Methods: Data of 7112 subsequent patients with chronic tinnitus that filled out the German 52-item version of the TQ at the Tinnitus Center at Charité University Hospital Berlin, Germany, were included in the study. Statistical analyses included exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Results: CFA showed reasonably acceptable fit indices for a five-factor model for the 52-item version of the TQ, at least for RMSEA, one of the three fit indices (RMSEA = 0.059; CFI = 0.871; TLI = 0.861). Factors were called emotional distress, auditory perceptual difficulties, intrusiveness, sleep disturbances, and coping. Another CFA supports a three-factor model of the newly generated 15-item short version (RMSEA = 0.060; CFI = 0.942; TLI = 0.931) with the factors emotional distress, auditory perceptual difficulties, and intrusiveness. Conclusion: Validation of the German 52-item version of the TQ in a large, new sample of patients with chronic tinnitus supports the previously reported five-factor structure with slight differences concerning the identified factors. The new three-factorial 15-item short version allows a more rapid and economical assessment of tinnitus-related distress.

Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 1992

Dimensions of psychological complaints due to chronic and disabling tinnitus were investigated by means of the Tinnitus Questionnaire (TQ), administered to a sample of 138 tinnitus sufferers who had been admitted to a psychosomatic hospital. Factor analysis revealed that tinnitus-related patterns of emotional and cognitive distress, intrusiveness, auditory perceptual difficulties, sleep disturbances, and somatic complaints can be differentiated. Cognitive distortions and inappropriate attitudes towards the tinnitus and it's personal consequences were found to be highly intercorrelated forming a subgroup within a broader and more general distress factor. The stability of the factor solution obtained was examined by systematically varying the number of factors to be extracted. Based on the results of this method, scales are proposed for the questionnaire which can be used in clinical and scientific work to specifically assess major areas of tinnitus-related distress and their degree of severity. Implications for a further evaluation of the instrument are discussed.

American Journal of Audiology, 2014

Purpose To create a questionnaire focused on the primary activities impaired by tinnitus and therefore more sensitive to treatments. Method Questions were developed on (a) emotions, (b) hearing, (c) sleep, and (d) concentration. A 20-item questionnaire was administered to 158 patients. First, confirmatory factor analysis was used to select 3 questions per domain. Second, factor analysis was used to evaluate the appropriateness of the 12-item questionnaire. Results The analysis indicated that the selected questions successfully represented 4 independent domains. Scores were correlated with the Tinnitus Handicap Questionnaire ( r = .77, p < .01) and loudness ( r = .40, p < .01). The Sleep subscale correlated with the Pittsburgh Sleep Index ( r = .68, p < .01); the Emotion subscale correlated with the Beck Inventory ( r = .66, p < .01) and the Trait Anxiety questionnaire ( r = .67, p < .01). The average scores went from 51% to 38% following treatment. Conclusion The Tinn...

2017

Background and Aim : Self-administered questionnaires are clinically important to document how tinnitus affects the daily life of patients. In this regard, there is a need to have an alternative questionnaire that covers relevant aspects of tinnitus and related symptoms. The present study aimed to develop and validate a new tinnitus questionnaire known as Tinnitus Handicap Que­stionnaire or Borang Evaluasi Soal selidik Tinitus (BEST) in Malay version. Methods : The present study had two consecutive phases. In phase 1 of study, BEST que­stionnaire was initially developed in English and underwent forward and backward transla­tion processes. Following relevant amendments, the final version of BEST (Malay version) was ready for subsequent tasks. It consists of 25 items categorized under 3M domain (mind, main and mental). In phase 2, 65 patients with tinnitus were recruited for determining the validity and reliability of BEST. Results : Content validity index (CVI) of BEST ranged from 0....

Acta …, 2012

Tinnitus represents one of the most frequent symptoms observed in the general population in association with different pathologies, although often its etiology remains unclear. Objective of this work is to evidence the main aspects concerning epidemiology, causes, audiological characteristics and psychological consequences of tinnitus.

Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 2016

Objective: The primary cause of subjective tinnitus is a dysfunction of the auditory system; however, the degree of distress tinnitus causes depends largely on the psychological status of the patient. Our goal was to attempt to associate the grade of tinnitus-related distress with the psychological distress, physical, or psychological discomfort patients experienced, as well as potentially relevant social parameters, through a simultaneous analysis of these factors. Methods: We determined the level of tinnitus-related distress in 531 tinnitus patients using the German version of the tinnitus questionnaire (TQ). In addition, we used the Perceived Stress Questionnaire (PSQ); General Depression Scale Allgemeine Depression Skala (ADS), Berlin Mood Questionnaire (BSF); somatic symptoms inventory (BI), and SF-8 health survey as well as general information collected through a medical history. Results: The TQ score significantly correlated with a score obtained using PSQ, ADS, BSF, BI, and SF-8 alongside psychosocial factors such as age, gender, and marital status. The level of hearing loss and the auditory properties of the specific tinnitus combined with perceived stress and the degree of depressive mood and somatic discomfort of a patient were identified as medium-strong predictors of chronic tinnitus. Social factors such as gender, age, or marital status also had an impact on the degree of tinnitus distress. The results that were obtained were implemented in a specific cortical distress network model. Conclusions: Using a large representative sample of patients with chronic tinnitus permitted a simultaneous statistical measurement of psychometric and audiological parameters in predicting tinnitus distress. We demonstrate that single factors can be distinguished in a manner that explains their causative association and influence on the induction of tinnitus-related distress.

Journal Riphah College of Rehabilitation Sciences, 2024

Objectives: To determine the characteristics of tinnitus and its association with clinical and demographic variables including psychological health. Methodology: This cross-sectional study recruited 80 tinnitus cases from ENT outpatients of District Head Quarter Hospital Chakwal from over a period of 6 months from 1st Jan 2019 to 31st June, 2019, using convenience sampling. Sample included both genders, aged 18-75 years with tinnitus for at least three months. Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) & Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale 21 (DASS-21) were used for data collection & analysis done using SPSS-version 20. Anova statistics & Pearsons correlation was determined for THI and DASS-21. Chi-square test was used to see any association with clinic-demographic variables. P<0.05 was considered significant. Results: Study revealed 30(37.5%) cases with mild, 20(25%) each with moderate and severe while least 4(5%) catastrophic tinnitus. Tinnitus severity was significant associated with gender (p=0.005), age (p=0.035), educational level (p=0.049), occupation (p=0.002), duration of tinnitus (p=0.038), site of tinnitus (P<0.001) and type of tinnitus sound (P=0.003). Duration of tinnitus was associated with anxiety (p=0.024), site of tinnitus was associated with THI (p=0.016), anxiety (p=0.021), stress (p<0.001) and depression (p=0.02) and total DASS-21 (p=0.005). A significant positive correlation was present between tinnitus handicap, Anxiety, stress, depression and DASS-21 total score (P<0.001). Conclusion: Mild tinnitus was most prevalent (37.5%) with Tinnitus severity having significant association with gender, age, educational level, occupation, duration of tinnitus, site of tinnitus, and type of tinnitus sound. Duration of tinnitus was also associated with anxiety while site of tinnitus has association with THI, anxiety, stress, depression and total DASS-21. Significant positive correlation is present between THI and Anxiety, stress, depression and DASS-21 total score.

European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, 2012

The study was carried out to determine the impact of some co-morbid otological symptoms and demographic factors on the emotional distress and cognitive functioning in patients with tinnitus. One hundred consecutive patients, complaining of constant idiopathic tinnitus, were enrolled into the study. Four tests were administered: Beck Depression Inventory, Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale (HADS, A-anxiety, D-depression), Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Trail Making Test (TMT). A multivariate stepwise linear regression analysis was performed to estimate the relationship between the results of each of the tests and following co-morbid factors: age, sex, tinnitus duration, tinnitus laterality, hearing status (normal hearing, unilateral hearing loss and bilateral hearing loss) and vertigo/dizziness. It was found that the scores of MMSE and TMT were negatively correlated with age and with hearing status and the scores of HADS-A were slightly correlated with sex. In regression analysis, in HADS-A, sex and to a lesser extent tinnitus duration, in MMSE and TMT age and to a lesser extent tinnitus laterality were the variables that were comprised in the final model. Demographic factors had contributed more than overlapping otological symptoms to the psychological outcome in tinnitus patients.