Psychological distress in patients with tinnitus.

OBJECTIVE

This study was conducted to evaluate the psychological distress in patients with tinnitus that is often correlated with sleeping disorders, difficulties in concentration, and compromized social relations.

METHODS

Eighty-four patients were studied using preliminary clinical and audiologic evaluations, and successive psychological tests.

RESULTS

The cluster analysis indicated two essential groups composed of 45 patients (CLST-1) and 38 patients (CLST-2), respectively. The CLST-1 group had higher scores for depression, anxiety, and neuroticism. The IBQ CLST-1 revealed a greater degree hypochondria, conviction of disease dysphoria, and irritability.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results indicate that the relationship between the intensity of the tinnitus and the extent of the distress is supported by the larger number of patients with more intense tinnitus in the first cluster. The CLST-2 with its normal psychological test results, apart from marked denial, would support the hypothesis of a somatic expression of the distress.