Two new questionnaires were devised to investigate dimensions of complaint about tinnitus. Following a factor analysis of data provided by a sample of tinnitus patients who were administered the first questionnaire, the second questionnaire was developed. This included questions concerning coping attitudes and beliefs about tinnitus. The results of the two analyses were similar and they indicated the presence of three main dimensions of complaint (emotional distress, auditory perceptual difficulties, and sleep disturbance). However several smaller factors suggested that complaint was more complex than originally predicted. The second questionnaire successfully discriminated complaining from non-complaining patients.

Many people who complain of tinnitus say that the noises impair their mental concentration. This complaint was investigated by self-report (primarily the Cognitive Failures Questionnaire) and by means of five cognitive tasks, four presented via laptop computer and one given manually. The tasks measured performance under single- and dual-task conditions and included tests of sustained attention, reaction time, verbal fluency and immediate and delayed memory. Two groups of outpatients attending audiological clinics (tinnitus, n = 43; hearing impairment, n = 17) were compared with non-clinical volunteers (n = 32). The results replicated earlier findings that tinnitus outpatients report significantly more everyday cognitive failures than do controls. The tinnitus group responded significantly more slowly than the two control groups on the variable fore-period reaction time task under dual-task conditions. In general, comparisons between the groups on other tasks showed equivalent performance, but both clinical groups performed more poorly than non-clinical controls on verbal fluency. We conclude that cognitive inefficiency in tinnitus participants is related to the control of attentional processes, consistent with our earlier theoretical speculation about the nature of tinnitus complaint and with published findings on the effects of chronic pain on cognitive processes.

The study throws light on the experience of receiving CBT for psychosis and points to some of the therapeutic process variables worthy of consideration in clinical practice and future research.

First time hearing aid candidates (N = 135) in a NHS setting were administered the Hearing Attitudes in Rehabilitation Questionnaire (HARQ) designed to assess attitudes to acquired hearing loss and hearing aids and 92% of them were followed up 3-9 months after fitting. Attitude scores, age, sex and sensory thresholds were related to six self-report outcome measures by use of logistic regression. The major findings were that patients who were least distressed by their hearing difficulties and reported not wanting or needing a hearing aid used their aids least frequently and evaluated them less highly in listening situations. An attitude that wearing a hearing aid was stigmatizing was not predictive of outcome except a report of more difficulty in handling the aid. There were some low but significant correlations between attitudes and sensory thresholds and thresholds also contributed to the prediction of outcome in a few instances.

Communication is a shared experience which can be substantially affected by hearing impairment. Significant others may experience difficulties not only in direct communication but also in personal and social relationships. The present study was designed to investigate the impact on significant others of hearing loss in a partner and the benefits that accrued from the provision of personal amplification. The results suggested that before the provision of a hearing aid significant others experienced difficulties with person-to-person conversation, with group conversation and in viewing (listening to) television of the same order as did the hearing impaired individual. After appropriate intervention the difficulties were greatly reduced with resultant improvement in quality of life for both parties.