Reliability and validity of a Danish adaptation of the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory

The objective of this study was to determine the reliability and validity of a Danish translation of the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI), a self-report measure of perceived tinnitus handicap. The Danish version of the THI was administered to 50 patients reporting tinnitus as their primary complaint or secondary to hearing loss. Construct validity was assessed using tinnitus symptom rating scales, the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), the Tinnitus Coping Style Questionnaire (TCSQ), the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ), and perceived tinnitus loudness and pitch. The Danish translation of the THI and its subscales showed good internal consistency reliabilities (c = 0.93 to alpha = 0.74) comparable to those of the original version. High to moderate correlations were observed between THI and psychological distress, tinnitus symptom ratings, neuroticism and maladaptive tinnitus coping. A confirmatory factor analysis failed to validate the three subscales of THI, and high intercorrelations found between the subscales question whether they represent three distinct factors. The results suggest that the Danish THI-Total scale may be a reliable and valid measure of general tinnitus related distress that can be used in a clinical setting to quantify the impact of tinnitus on daily living.