Tinnitus Education for Audiologists Is a Ship at Sea: Is It Coming or Going?

Abstract

Subjective tinnitus is a highly prevalent sound sensation produced in most cases by persistent neural activity in the auditory pathway of the patient. Audiologists should be confident that they can employ elements of sound therapy and related counseling to support patients in coping. However, patients with bothersome tinnitus may be challenged by mental health complications, and they struggle to find adequate care when tinnitus and psychological distress co-occur. Audiologists in many cases lack the confidence to provide in-depth counseling while mental health providers lack basic understanding of tinnitus, its mechanisms, and the elements of audiologic management that could support patients in coping. At the very least, audiologists should be able to explain the mechanisms involved in and contributing to negative tinnitus effects, conduct valid measures of these effects, and offer reasonable options for managing the consequences linked by the patient to bothersome tinnitus and sound-related sensations. This brief communication summarizes the current state of tinnitus-related opportunities offered in US audiology training programs, and the substantial need to improve both the education of practitioners and the delivery of services to patients in need.