A Simplified Version of the Chinese Tinnitus Disorder Scale and its Psychometric Characteristics.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to design a Concise and Practical Chinese Tinnitus Disorder Scale (CPCTDS), evaluate its psychometric measurement characteristics, and help doctors in making diagnoses and treatments.

METHODS

A sample of 482 tinnitus patients completed CPCTDS. The patients also completed the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D), the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and the Tinnitus Functional Index (TFI).

RESULTS

The eight items of CPCTDS were extracted through its exploratory factor analysis, which had strong internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.855). The correlations between the total scores of CPCTDS and Tinnitus Disability Inventory (TDI; r = 0.960, P < 0.05) and TFI (r = 0.749, P < 0.05) indicated a good criterion validity. The correlation of the CPCTDS emotional subscale with the TFI emotional subscale (r = 0.650, P < 0.05), CES-D (r = 0.488, P < 0.05), and BAI (r =.384, p< 0.05) showed that the convergent validity of CPCTDS was satisfactory.

CONCLUSIONS

CPCTDS and the original Chinese version of TDI were highly reliable and valid. This finding shows that the two scales can be reliably used to assess the severity of tinnitus in clinical areas.