Reliability and validity of a Danish adaptation of the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine the reliability and validity of a Danish translation of the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI), a self-report measure of perceived tinnitus handicap. The Danish version of the THI was administered to 50 patients reporting tinnitus as their primary complaint or secondary to hearing loss. Construct validity was assessed using tinnitus symptom rating scales, the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), the Tinnitus Coping Style Questionnaire (TCSQ), the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ), and perceived tinnitus loudness and pitch. The Danish translation of the THI and its subscales showed good internal consistency reliabilities (c = 0.93 to alpha = 0.74) comparable to those of the original version. High to moderate correlations were observed between THI and psychological distress, tinnitus symptom ratings, neuroticism and maladaptive tinnitus coping. A confirmatory factor analysis failed to validate the three subscales of THI, and high intercorrelations found between the subscales question whether they represent three distinct factors. The results suggest that the Danish THI-Total scale may be a reliable and valid measure of general tinnitus related distress that can be used in a clinical setting to quantify the impact of tinnitus on daily living.

Interação entre grau de perda auditiva e o incômodo com zumbidos em trabalhadores com história de exposição ao ruído

“…Some references corroborate the maintenance of an internal consistency of this tool even after translations and adaptations to other populations and languages 11,14,18 . TSQ is made up of twenty five questions, broken down in three groups.…”

Consensus for tinnitus patient assessment and treatment outcome measurement: Tinnitus Research Initiative meeting, Regensburg, July 2006

“…Assessment of tinnitus severity with at least one additional questionnaire is highly recommended. A majority of the participants favoured the THI as an additional questionnaire because the THI is thought to be validated in the largest number of languages (Zachariae et al, 2000;Herraiz et al, 2001;Paula Erika et al, 2005;Kleinjung et al, 2007) and may thus facilitate comparability between studies.…”

The Distressed (Type D) Personality Is Independently Associated With Tinnitus: A Case–Control Study

“…Other studies (except that of Wilson et al 55 ) evaluating neuroticism in tinnitus sufferers also found a significant positive correlation between neuroticism and perceived tinnitus severity. 9,13,14 Similarly, some 9,13 but not all studies, 14 found significant inverse correlations between reduced extraversion and perceived tinnitus severity. To our knowledge, this is the first study to examine the role of emotional stability in tinnitus, whereas previous studies have predominantly described the personality trait of "emotional stability" as being part of a personality profile, for example, such as "psychotic characteristics of the MMPI."…”

“…This is a weakness of the study. Furthermore, since there is no consensus as to which personality traits may play a role in tinnitus, a heterogeneous set of measures was used in previous studies, including the normal or short version of the MMPI, 5,7,15,17,56 -58 the EPQ, 9,13,14,55 and the DSM-III-R or DSM-IV classification for psychiatric disorders. 7,10,59 -62 This heterogeneity makes comparisons between studies difficult and hinders us from conducting metaanalyses.…”

“…9,11 Some personality characteristics previously re-ported to be associated with tinnitus are hysteria and hypochondriasis, 5,7,11,12 neuroticism, 9,13,14 reduced extraversion, 9,13,14 withdrawal, 5,15 emotional isolation, 15 and psychasthenia. 16,17 Psychasthenia refers to feelings of low self-confidence, anxiety, heightened sensitivity, moodiness, and the inability to resist undesired maladaptive behaviors.…”