A systematic review and meta-analysis of psychological functioning in chronic tinnitus

Abstract

Chronic tinnitus, the phenomenon of a chronic ringing in the ears or head, has a significant negative impact on an individual's health and wellbeing. Despite this, there is no cure or consensus regarding factors maintaining ongoing awareness of the sensation in this population, or the severity of its impact. We aimed to comprehensively and systematically review behavioural studies investigating the psychological functioning of adults with chronic tinnitus. We identified 64 papers meeting our search criteria for inclusion, which are reviewed with regard to psychological factors involved with the presence of chronic tinnitus, and those relating to its severity. The majority of studies assessed..