Reliability of self-rated tinnitus distress and association with psychological symptom patterns.
Psychological complaints were investigated in two samples of 60 and 138 in-patients suffering from chronic tinnitus. We administered the Tinnitus Questionnaire (TQ), a 52-item self-rating scale which differentiates between dimensions of emotional and cognitive distress, intrusiveness, auditory perceptual difficulties, sleep disturbances and somatic complaints. The test-retest reliability was .94 for the TQ global score and between .86 and .93 for subscales. Three independent analyses were conducted to estimate the split-half reliability (internal consistency) which was only slightly lower than the test-retest values for scales with a relatively small number of items. Reliability was sufficient also on the level of single items. Low correlation between the TQ and the Hopkins Symptom Checklist (SCL-90-R) indicate a distinct quality of tinnitus-related and general psychological disturbances.
Clinic Roseneck, Center for Behavioral Medicine, Prien, Germany.
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Hiller
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Goebel
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Rief
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000150:complications*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011602:Psychophysiologic Disorders; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012647:Self-Assessment; D014012:Tinnitus / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*