Cognitive behavioural therapy for tinnitus

When the ringing in the ears gets unbearable: Illness representations, self-instructions and adjustment to tinnitus

“…The suggestions derived from our findings are in line with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) which has been found to have positive effects on qualitative aspects of tinnitus and the management of tinnitus. CBT for tinnitus usually combines the provision of information, the modification of negative thinking, and the enhancement of effective coping [28,29]. The present findings could help to specify the areas of negative cognitions and indicate that especially negative illness perceptions and catastrophizing should be targeted in psychological tinnitus treatment.…”

Tinnitus Functional Index: Development, validation, outcomes research, and clinical application

“…Patients with bothersome tinnitus must learn management techniques, and numerous behavioral methods exist for this purpose (Cima et al, 2014;Hoare et al, 2014). The method with perhaps the strongest evidence, based on randomized controlled trials (RCTs), is cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) (Martinez-Devesa et al, 2010;Tunkel et al, 2014).…”

Bilateral Low-Frequency Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation of the Auditory Cortex in Tinnitus Patients Is Not Effective: A Randomised Controlled Trial

“…Although some therapies may be beneficial for some patients in reducing tinnitus, there is no curative therapy. Psychological therapies (counselling, cognitive behavioural therapy) and tinnitus retraining therapy may diminish tinnitus distress or may improve quality of life by teaching coping strategies, relaxation techniques and distraction skills [Andersson and Lyttkens, 1999;Cima et al, 2012;Martinez Devesa et al, 2007;Phillips and McFerran, 2010]. Masking devices, which produce a sound to (partially) mask the tinnitus, might be beneficial to some patients [Hobson et al, 2012], and patients who also have a significant hearing impairment may benefit from a hearing aid [del Bo and Ambrosetti, 2007].…”