Investigation of Mental Fatigue in Individuals With Tinnitus

Mental fatigue is a common but understudied symptom in individuals with tinnitus. This study aimed to examine the relationship between tinnitus-related distress, anxiety symptoms, and mental fatigue.

A total of 119 participants (52 with tinnitus, 67 healthy controls) were included. All participants completed the Mental Fatigue Scale (MFS) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7). The tinnitus group also completed the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI), Visual Analog Scales (VAS), and psychoacoustic assessments (pitch matching, loudness level, minimum masking level). Group comparisons and correlation analyses were conducted.

MFS scores were significantly higher in the tinnitus group than in controls (11.74 ± 5.51 vs. 8.13 ± 4.34, p = 0.015, d = 0.45). A moderate positive correlation was found between mental fatigue and anxiety symptoms (r = 0.44, p = 0.001). Within the tinnitus group, mental fatigue was weakly associated with THI and VAS attention deficit scores (r = 0.31, p = 0.022 and r = 0.30, p = 0.033, respectively), though these did not survive correction for multiple comparisons, nor with tinnitus loudness, masking levels, sleep disturbance, or hearing loss.

Mental fatigue in tinnitus appears more closely related to psychological and attentional factors than to auditory variables. Routine screening for fatigue and cognitive complaints may support more comprehensive tinnitus management and improve patient outcomes.