Social Support and Tinnitus Distress: The Importance of Developing Positive Psychological Qualities in Patients with Chronic Tinnitus

Abstract

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> The role of social support in the relief of tinnitus distress and related mechanisms remains unclear. This study aimed to confirm a hypothesis that the influence of social support on tinnitus distress is mediated by resilience and self-esteem. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> The Social Support Rating Scale, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, Positive Version of Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and Tinnitus Handicap Inventory were used to assess 296 patients who experience chronic subjective tinnitus. The collected data were subjected to correlational analysis, mediating effect testing, and structural equation model analysis using R 3.3.1 with the mediate and lavaan packages. <b><i>Results:</i></b> The result showed that social support had significant positive correlations with resilience and self-esteem, while resilience and self-esteem had significant negative correlations with tinnitus distress. Furthermore, social support indirectly affected tinnitus distress through the full mediating effects of resilience and self-esteem and could indirectly affect resilience through the partial mediating effects of self-esteem. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> These results suggested that the key to social support for alleviating tinnitus distress lies in the development of patients’ resilience and self-esteem. Promoting the development of positive psychological quality of tinnitus patients and improving their perception of social support may become the new approaches of clinical management of tinnitus.