Abstract
BackgroundDespite vulnerability-stress models underlying a variety of distress-related emotional syndromes, few studies have investigated interactions between personality factors and subjectively experienced stressors in accounting for tinnitus-related distress.AimThe present study compared personality characteristics between patients with chronic tinnitus and the general population. Within the patient sample, it was further examined whether personality dimensions predicted tinnitus-related distress and, if so, whether differential aspects or levels of perceived stress mediated these effects.MethodApplying a cross-sectional design, 100 patients with chronic tinnitus completed the Freiburger Persönlichkeitsinventar (FPI-R) measuring personality, the Perceived Stress Questionnaire (PSQ-20) measuring perceived stress and the German version of the Tinnitus Questionnaire (TQ) measuring tinnitus-related distress. FPI-R scores were compared with normed values obtained from a representative German reference population. Mediation analyses were computed specifying FPI-R scores as independent, PSQ20 scores as mediating and the TQ-total score as dependent variables.ResultsPatients with chronic tinnitus significantly differed from the general population across a variety of personality indices. Tinnitus-related distress was mediated by differential interactions between personality factors and perceived stress dimensions.ConclusionIn conceptualizing tinnitus-related distress, idiosyncratic assessments of vulnerability-stress interactions are crucial for devising effective psychological treatment strategies. Patients’ somatic complaints and worries appear to be partly informed by opposing tendencies reflecting emotional excitability vs. aggressive inhibition – suggesting emotion-focused treatment strategies as a promising new direction for alleviating distress.
Highlights
Tinnitus is a symptom denoting the perception of acoustic sensations without an external sound stimulus
Applying a psychological vulnerability-stress framework, the current study investigates how personality characteristics interact with perceived stress in explaining tinnitus-related distress in patients with chronic tinnitus
We examined the following hypotheses: (1) There are systematic differences in personality factors between patients with chronic tinnitus and the general population; (2) There are systematic differences in personality factors between patients with decompensated and compensated chronic tinnitus; and
Summary
Tinnitus is a symptom denoting the perception of acoustic sensations without an external sound stimulus. Several studies have shown that existing emotional distress predicted higher tinnitus-related distress (Bartels et al, 2009; Schaaf et al, 2014; WallhäusserFranke et al, 2015; Durai and Searchfield, 2016; Strumila et al, 2017; Sahlsten et al, 2018). In line with conceptualizations of other functional syndromes such as chronic pain (Flor, 1991; Linton, 2000; Wittchen and Hoyer, 2011), tinnitus-related distress might be conceptualized as a function of an interaction of pre-existing psychological vulnerability and life stressors that may include – but are not limited to – the tinnitus symptom. Despite vulnerability-stress models underlying a variety of distress-related emotional syndromes, few studies have investigated interactions between personality factors and subjectively experienced stressors in accounting for tinnitus-related distress
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