Tinnitus, Anxiety, Depression and Substance Abuse in Rock Musicians a Norwegian Survey

Abstract

Objective: Rock musicians are known to have an increased prevalence of hearing loss and tinnitus. The aims of the present study were to examine the distribution of anxiety and depression symptoms among rock musicians with or without tinnitus and how these mental health indicators and internal locus of control influenced upon their tinnitus symptom concerns and the degree to which the tinnitus affected their lives. Design: The study was a questionnairebased cross-sectional survey of subjects selected from a cohort of rock musicians. We recruited 111 active musicians from the Oslo region, and a control group of 40 non-musicians from the student population at the University of Tromso. Results: Among the rock musicians 19.8% reported permanent tinnitus vs. 0% among the controls. Musicians more often reported anxiety symptoms than controls (35.1% vs. 17.5%), however this prevalence was not different in musicians with and without tinnitus. Tinnitus-affected musicians reported depressive symptoms, significantly more than controls (13.6% vs. 5%). Rock musicians consumed more alcohol than controls, but alcohol consumption was unrelated to severity of tinnitus. Drug abuse was not more prevalent in rock musicians than in controls. Duration of tinnitus, internal locus of control, sleep disturbance and anxiety were significant predictors of how affected and how concerned musicians were about their tinnitus. Conclusion: Rock musicians are at risk for the development of chronic tinnitus, and they have an increased prevalence of anxiety. There is an association between chronic tinnitus and depressive symptoms in rock musicians, but our results are ambiguous. Although rock musicians have a chronic exposure to noise, noise-induced hearing loss is not the sole causative agent for the development of tinnitus.

Association between Cannabis Use and Tinnitus in US Adults

“…In our study, adults with MDD were more than three times more likely to report tinnitus on multivariable analysis. This is consistent with other prospective (23,24) and cross-sectional studies (20,25,26), which suggest a significant correlation between MDD and tinnitus. Although the association between cannabis use and tinnitus was significant on multivariable analyses in this study, the difference in tinnitus prevalence between different levels of cannabis use was no longer statistically significant in the subpopulation of participants with depression.…”

Surrounded by Sound: The Impact of Tinnitus on Musicians

“…Findings amongst nonmusicians have suggested weak to moderate association between tinnitus and stress [64,65] and some evidence has suggested a bidirectional relationship between stress and selfreported hearing problems including tinnitus [66]. Furthermore, musicians experiencing tinnitus have reported experiencing more depressive symptoms than non-musicians with tinnitus [51]. Some musicians in the present study attributed their mental health problems to their experience of tinnitus and highlighted that "mental health support is key" (PM12).…”

“…As previous research reported, musicians are at risk of noise exposure at work [14][15][16][17][18], and they may be aware that their tinnitus has arisen from occupational noise exposure leading to some feelings of personal responsibility and control. An internal locus of control has been suggested to be a mediating factor in how concerned musicians are about their tinnitus [51] and as such may be connected to anxiety experienced.…”

The Role of Diet and Lifestyle in the Tinnitus Management: A Comprehensive Review

“…Sleep disturbances are prevalent among individuals with tinnitus, as silence can often accentuate tinnitus symptoms at bedtime. To mitigate tinnitus during nighttime, experts recommend employing white noise or other soothing sounds to mask the tinnitus sound, elevating the pillow to alleviate congestion, and establishing a consistent bedtime routine that incorporates stress-reducing activities [ 36 ]. Reducing the consumption of caffeine, alcohol, and tobacco is imperative for managing tinnitus symptoms, as these substances can exacerbate tinnitus.…”