Evaluation of the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy on tinnitus

Abstract

Objective This research aims to examine the effects of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) on tinnitus in individuals aged 18-60 years. Methods Thirty participants with subjective tinnitus for at least six months were included a randomized controlled trial was conducted with 15 participants in the experimental group and 15 in the control group, with pre-test and post-test measurements. The experimental group received eight CBT sessions for eight weeks. Data were collected using Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) and Visual Analog Scale (VAS). The Mann-Whitney and Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test were used to compare scores between experimental and control groups before and after the intervention. Results A within-group difference was found between total scores on THI and VAS before and after CBT in the experimental (z = −3.241, P = 0.001), but not in the control group (z = −1.764, P = 0.078). Following the intervention, there was a significant between-group difference on the THI Emotional, Catastrophic, and Functional tinnitus subscale scores, favoring the experimental group. Conclusions CBT significantly reduced tinnitus level, severity, duration, frequency, discomfort, tinnitus-related attention deficit, and sleep problems. Further studies are needed to replicate these results in other populations.