Psychological morbidity and resilience associated with tinnitus in a Sri Lankan population

Abstract

INTRODUCTION & OBJECTIVES: Tinnitus, the perception of noise or ringing in the ears, is a common and disabling condition. It often results in anxiety and depression. While it is believed to be common in Sri Lanka, no study has investigated this phenomena. This study aimed to describe the nature of tinnitus among patients attending the otorhinolaryngology (ENT) clinics in selected hospitals in Sri Lanka to determine the psychological morbidity associated with tinnitus and to investigate the factors influencing resilience among them. METHODS: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study. All the consenting adult patients with complaint of tinnitus who attended ENT clinics in Kandy, Kalubowila and Mathale hospitals were assessed using a self-administered questionnaire. Psychological morbidity was assessed using the validated GHQ-12 and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). RESULTS: Of 93 patients included in the study, majority (56%) were females. Their average age was 55.1years and they have had tinnitus for 2.1years on average. While 63.5% reported tinnitus to be subjectively distressing, 63.4% noted it to be significantly interfering with daily activities. None of them had psychiatric illness prior to the onset of tinnitus. Yet, 62.4% reported psychiatric caseness and 47.3% had depression. Loudness of tinnitus, subjective distress, disturbance to sleep and daily activities due to tinnitus, had significant association with psychiatric caseness/depression. Constant pursuit of happiness was associated with resilience but religiosity and mindfulness were not. CONCLUSION: Tinnitus is a distressing illness associated with a significant functional impairment and psychiatric morbidity. Harnessing resilient factors would improve the quality of life for patients with tinnitus in Sri Lanka