title: Tinnitus-related distress and the personality characteristic resilience.
abstract: It has been suggested that personality traits may be prognostic for the severity of suffering from tinnitus. Resilience as measured with the Wagnild and Young resilience scale represents a positive personality characteristic that promotes adaptation to adverse life conditions including chronic health conditions. Aim of the study was to explore the relation between resilience and tinnitus severity. In a cross-sectional study with a self-report questionnaire, information on tinnitus-related distress and subjective tinnitus loudness was recorded together with the personality characteristic resilience and emotional health, a measure generated from depression, anxiety, and somatic symptom severity scales. Data from 4705 individuals with tinnitus indicate that tinnitus-related distress and to a lesser extent the experienced loudness of the tinnitus show an inverse correlation with resilience. A mediation analysis revealed that the relationship between resilience and tinnitus-related distress is mediated by emotional health. This indirect effect indicates that high resilience is associated with better emotional health or less depression, anxiety, and somatic symptom severity, which in turn is associated with a less distressing tinnitus. Validity of resilience as a predictor for tinnitus-related distress is supported but needs to be explored further in longitudinal studies including acute tinnitus patients.
authors.affiliation: Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, ENT-Department, Unit of Phoniatrics and Audiology, Ludolf-Krehl-Straße 13-17, 68167 Mannheim, Germany.
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wallhäusser-Franke
authors.affiliation: Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, ENT-Department, Unit of Phoniatrics and Audiology, Ludolf-Krehl-Straße 13-17, 68167 Mannheim, Germany ; HNO-Kooperation Südwestpfalz, Pfaffplatz 10, 67659 Kaiserslautern, Germany.
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Delb
authors.affiliation: Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, ENT-Department, Unit of Phoniatrics and Audiology, Ludolf-Krehl-Straße 13-17, 68167 Mannheim, Germany.
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Balkenhol
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Wallstraße 3, 55122 Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hiller
authors.affiliation: Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, ENT-Department, Unit of Phoniatrics and Audiology, Ludolf-Krehl-Straße 13-17, 68167 Mannheim, Germany ; University Medical Centre Mannheim, ENT-Department,Theodor-Kutzer-Ufer 1-3, 68167 Mannheim, Germany.
authors.forename: Karl
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hörmann
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001307:Auditory Perception; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010551:Personality; D011379:Prognosis; D055500:Resilience, Psychological; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014012:Tinnitus / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult