Journal of Psychosomatic Research
Volume 69, Issue 3 , Pages 289-298 , September 2010

The association between tinnitus and mental health in a general population sample: Results from the HUNT Study

  • Norun Hjertager Krog

      Affiliations

    • Division of Mental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Division of Mental Health, Department of Psychosomatics and Health Behaviour, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, P.O. Box 4404, Nydalen, NO-0403 Oslo, Norway. Tel.: +47 21 07 83 62; fax: +47 21 07 81 01.
  • ,
  • Bo Engdahl

      Affiliations

    • Division of Mental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
  • ,
  • Kristian Tambs

      Affiliations

    • Division of Mental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
    • Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA

Received 22 April 2009 ,Revised 16 March 2010 ,Accepted 16 March 2010.

References 

  1. Hoffman HJ, Reed GW. Epidemiology of tinnitus. In:  Snow JB editors. Tinnitus: theory and management. Lewiston (NY): BC Decker; 2004;p. 16–41
  2. Henry JA, Dennis KC, Schechter MA. General review of tinnitus: prevalence, mechanisms, effects, and management. J Speech Lang Hear Res. 2005;48:1204–1235
  3. Coles R, Davis A, Smith P. Tinnitus: its epidemiology and management. In:  Hartvig Jensen J editors. Presbyacusis and other age related aspects. Proceedings of the 14th Danavox symposium. Copenhagen: Danavox Jubilee Foundation; 1990;
  4. Erlandsson SI. Psychological profiles of tinnitus patients. In:  Tyler RS editors. Tinnitus handbook. San Diego (Calif): Thomson Learning; 2000;p. 25–57
  5. Andersson G. Psychological aspects of tinnitus and the application of cognitive-behavioral therapy. Clin Psychol Rev. 2002;22:977–990
  6. Nondahl DM, Cruickshanks KJ, Dalton DS, Klein BEK, Klein R, Schubert CR, et al. The impact of tinnitus on quality of life in older adults. J Am Acad Audiol. 2007;18:257–266
  7. Salonen J, Johansson R, Joukamaa M. Alexithymia, depression and tinnitus in elderly people. Gen Hosp Psychiatry. 2007;29:431–435
  8. George RN, Kemp S. A survey of New Zealanders with tinnitus. Br J Audiol. 1991;25:331–336
  9. Sullivan MD, Katon W, Dobie R, Sakai C, Russo J, Harrop-Griffiths J. Disabling tinnitus. Association with affective disorder. Gen Hosp Psychiatry. 1988;10:285–291
  10. Zöger S, Svedlund J, Holgers KM. Psychiatric disorders in tinnitus patients without severe hearing impairment: 24 month follow-up of patients at an audiological clinic. Audiology. 2001;40:133–140
  11. Marciano E, Carrabba L, Giannini P, Sementina C, Verde P, Bruno C, et al. Psychiatric comorbidity in a population of outpatients affected by tinnitus. Int J Audiol. 2003;42:4–9
  12. Harrop-Griffiths J, Katon W, Dobie R, Sakai C, Russo J. Chronic tinnitus: association with psychiatric diagnoses. J Psychosom Res. 1987;31:613–621
  13. Simpson RB, Nedzelski JM, Barber HO, Thomas MR. Psychiatric diagnoses in patients with psychogenic dizziness or severe tinnitus. J Otolaryngol. 1988;17:325–330
  14. Zöger S, Svedlund J, Holgers KM. Relationship between tinnitus severity and psychiatric disorders. Psychosomatics. 2006;47:282–288
  15. Robinson SK, Viirre ES, Stein MB. Antidepressant therapy in tinnitus. Hear Res. 2007;226:221–231
  16. Robinson SK, Viirre ES, Stein MB. Antidepressant therapy for tinnitus. In:  Snow JB editors. Tinnitus: theory and management. London: BC Decker; 2004;p. 278–293
  17. Sindhusake D, Mitchell P, Newall P, Golding M, Rochtchina E, Rubin G. Prevalence and characteristics of tinnitus in older adults: the Blue Mountains Hearing Study. Int J Audiol. 2003;42:289–294
  18. Hallberg LRM, Erlandsson SI. Tinnitus characteristics in tinnitus complainers and noncomplainers. Br J Audiol. 1993;27:19–27
  19. Attias J, Shemesh Z, Bleich A, Solomon Z, Baror G, Alster J, et al. Psychological profile of help-seeking and non-help-seeking tinnitus patients. Scand Audiol. 1995;24:13–18
  20. Winokur A, Winokur DF, Rickels K, Cox DS. Symptoms of emotional distress in a family planning service: stability over a four-week period. Br J Psychiatry. 1984;144:395–399
  21. Hesbacher PT. Psychiatric illness in family practice. J Clin Psychiatry. 1980;41:6–10
  22. Tambs K. Moderate effects of hearing loss on mental health and subjective well-being: results from the Nord-Trøndelag Hearing Loss Study. Psychosom Med. 2004;66:776–782
  23. Tambs K, Moum T. How well can a few questionnaire items indicate anxiety and depression?. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 1993;87:364–367
  24. Rosenberg M. Society and the adolescent self-image. New Jersey: Princeton University Press; 1965;
  25. Kvestad E, Czajkowski N, Engdahl B, Hoffman HJ, Tambs K. Low heritability of tinnitus: results from the second Nord-Trøndelag Health Study. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2010;13:178–182
  26. Report of the informal working group of deafness and hearing impairment programme planning. Geneva: World Health Organization; 1991;
  27. Sindhusake D, Golding M, Wigney D, Newall P, Jakobsen K, Mitchell P. Factors predicting severity of tinnitus: a population-based assessment. J Am Acad Audiol. 2004;15:269–280
  28. Andersson G, Vretblad P. Anxiety sensitivity in patients with chronic tinnitus. Scand J Behav Ther. 2000;29:57–64
  29. Johansson M, Andersson G. Prevalence of dizziness in relation to psychological factors and general health in older adults. Audiological Medicine. 2006;4:144–150
  30. Katon W, Sullivan MD. Depression and chronic medical illness. J Clin Psychiatry. 1990;51:3–11
  31. Scott B, Lindberg P, Melin L, Lyttkens L. Predictors of tinnitus discomfort, adaptation and subjective loudness. Br J Audiol. 1990;24:51–62
  32. Stansfeld SA. Noise, noise sensitivity and psychiatric disorder: epidemiological and psychophysiological studies. Psychol Med Monogr Suppl. 1992;22:1–44
  33. Kittler JE, Menard W, Phillips KA. Weight concerns in individuals with body dysmorphic disorder. Eat Behav. 2007;8:115–120
  34. Henry JA, Meikle MB. Psychoacoustic measures of tinnitus. J Am Acad Audiol. 2000;11:138–155
  35. Folmer RL, Griest SE, Meikle MB, Martin WH. Tinnitus severity, loudness, and depression. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 1999;121:48–51
  36. Kirsch CA, Blanchard EB, Parnes SM. Psychological characteristics of individuals high and low in their ability to cope with tinnitus. Psychosom Med. 1989;51:209–217
  37. Welch D, Dawes PJD. Personality and perception of tinnitus. Ear Hear. 2008;29:684–692
  38. Newman CW, Wharton JA, Jacobson GP. Self-focused and somatic attention in patients with tinnitus. J Am Acad Audiol. 1997;8:143–149
  39. Lee SY, Kim JH, Hong SH, Lee DS. Roles of cognitive characteristics in tinnitus patients. J Korean Med Sci. 2004;19:864–869
  40. Andersson G, Westin V. Understanding tinnitus distress: introducing the concepts of moderators and mediators. Int J Audiol. 2008;47:S106–S111
  41. Andersson G, Mckenna L. Tinnitus masking and depression. Audiology. 1998;37:174–182
  42. Jäger B, Lamprecht F. Subgroups of styles of coping with chronic tinnitus: a cluster-analytic taxonomy. Z Klin Psychol Psychother. 2001;30:1–9
  43. Kobasa SC. Stressful life events, personality, and health: an inquiry into hardiness. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1979;37:1–11
  44. Vallianatou NG, Christodoulou P, Nestoros JN, Helidonis E. Audiologic and psychological profile of Greek patients with tinnitus-preliminary findings. Am J Otolaryngol. 2001;22:33–37
  45. Unterrainer J, Greimel KV, Leibetseder M, Koller T. Experiencing tinnitus: which factors are important for perceived severity of the symptom?. Int Tinnitus J. 2003;9:130–133
  46. Hiller W, Goebel G. Factors influencing tinnitus loudness and annoyance. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2006;132:1323–1330
  47. Erlandsson SI, Hallberg LRM. Prediction of quality of life in patients with tinnitus. Br J Audiol. 2000;34:11–19
  48. Guitton MJ. Tinnitus and anxiety: more than meets the ear. Curr Psychiatry Rev. 2006;2:333–338

 The Nord-Trøndelag Hearing Loss Study, which is part of Nord-Trøndelag Health Study, (HUNT) was funded by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), research contract no. N01-DC-6-2104, and by the Norwegian Research Council. The present work was supported by The Norwegian Foundation for Health and Rehabilitation. HUNT was conducted in collaboration between the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, the National Health Screening Service, Nord-Trøndelag County Council, and the Norwegian University of Technology and Science. Drs. H.J. Hoffman (NIDCD), H.M. Borchgrevink, and J. Holmen participated in the planning and administration of the Nord-Trøndelag Hearing Loss Study. The Nord-Trøndelag County Health Officer and the Community Health Officer in Levanger and in other municipalities provided organizational and other practical support.

☆☆ Human participant protection: This study was approved by the Data Inspectorate of Norway and recommended by the Regional Committee for Medical Research Ethics.

PII: S0022-3999(10)00125-X

doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2010.03.008

Journal of Psychosomatic Research
Volume 69, Issue 3 , Pages 289-298 , September 2010