Coping Strategies for Low Frequency Noise

Abstract

A small group (n=9), whose complaints of low frequency noise had not been resolved by Environmental Health Officers and related care professionals, were invited to attend a series of intervention sessions led by a psychotherapist. The aims of the sessions were to improve the participants' coping strategies and their quality of life, in order to relieve them from some of the distress caused by their belief that they were exposed to low frequency noise. Prior to the psychotherapy sessions the group was evaluated on a number of self report questionnaires, which measured individual responses for reaction to low frequency noise, quality of life, quality of coping and a personality questionnaire (Insights™ Discovery Preference Evaluator). A before and after, within group analysis of responses was based upon repeat measures of the three behavioural response questionnaires for noise reactivity, quality of life and coping. A general reduction in the subjects' stress levels was shown, suggesting positive effects of psychotherapy upon symptoms that had, in this group's case, proved resistant to improvement by conventional local authority and specialist interventions. This ‘therapeutic’ approach to LFN interventions could lead to improved health and effectiveness and fewer demands on local services. Although the techniques of tinnitus management were informative, analogy between the problems of low frequency noise sufferers and those of tinnitus sufferers fails at the point where low frequency noise sufferers believe that an external agency is the cause of their problems.