The International Tinnitus Journal

The relationship between treatment of mental disorder and chronic tinnitus

Author(s): Seyed Kazem Malakouti; Saeid Mahmoudian; Jafar Filli; Marzieh Nojomi; Mahshid Rabetian

Introduction: Comorbidity of chronic tinnitus and mental disorders may result in more disability. Objectives: This research provides an evaluation about the effects of medically treated comorbid mental disorder on chronic tinnitus.   

Materials and Methods: Fifty-five patients diagnosed with chronic tinnitus and mental disorders were randomly requited by producing a before-after design. They underwent three months of drug therapy for comorbid mental disorders by psychiatrists. Study instruments are Tinnitus Handicap Inventory, Tinnitus Questionnaire, Loudness Match Tinnitus, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, Beck Anxiety Inventory, The Structured Clinical Interview and Symptom Check List -90.

Results: Three months medical treatment puts forward the argument that among mental disorders, anxiety and major depressive disorder demonstrate a significant reduction. Pearson Correlation coefficient ostensibly reveals that there is no significant relationship between mental disorders and tinnitus severity. The statistics lend support to profound effect of major depressive disorder as a key factor on tinnitus disability exacerbation. Medical treatment also touches on issue such as tinnitus severity, its disabling effects and TQ subscales that statistics shows significant trends in their reduction.

Conclusion: Findings lay emphasis on tinnitus severity reduction and connection might be established between alleviated mental disorders comorbidity and the improvement of quality of life.

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