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Tinnitus severity, depression, and the big five personality traits
B Langguth1, T Kleinjung, B Fischer
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany. Berthold.Langguth@medbo.de
Personality traits significantly impact tinnitus severity. Low agreeableness predicts higher tinnitus handicap, while neuroticism correlates with depression and tinnitus questionnaire scores in chronic tinnitus patients.
Area of Science:
- Audiology
- Psychology
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Growing availability of tinnitus self-report measures increases awareness of psychological predictors.
- Depression and personality traits are recognized as significant factors in tinnitus severity.
- The specific impact of personality dimensions on tinnitus, controlling for depression, remains under-investigated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of the Big Five personality traits on tinnitus severity.
- To assess the relationship between personality dimensions and scores on the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) and Tinnitus Questionnaire (TQ).
- To determine if personality traits predict tinnitus severity independently of depressive mood.
Main Methods:
- Examined 72 individuals diagnosed with chronic tinnitus.
- Utilized self-report measures to assess the Big Five personality traits (Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness).
- Administered the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) and Tinnitus Questionnaire (TQ) to evaluate tinnitus-related complaints.
Main Results:
- Agreeableness showed a significant negative correlation with Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) scores (p=.003).
- Neuroticism correlated significantly with depressive symptomatology (p<.001) and Tinnitus Questionnaire (TQ) scores (p=.028).
- Low Agreeableness emerged as a novel predictor of tinnitus severity on the THI, independent of other factors.
Conclusions:
- Trait anxiety and depression are confirmed predictors of tinnitus severity.
- Low Agreeableness is identified as a new predictor for tinnitus severity, specifically impacting THI scores.
- Understanding personality's role can refine tinnitus assessment and management strategies.
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