Losing silence, gaining acceptance: a qualitative exploration of the role of thoughts in adult patients with subjective tinnitus.
OBJECTIVE
Tinnitus is one of the most common somatic symptoms to affect humanity. Prevalence rates in adult populations range from 8.2 to 20.1%. Our aim was to understand the beliefs and interpretations of tinnitus and the experience of living with it.


DESIGN
An in depth grounded theory interview study. Grounded theory is an inductive approach to developing theory.


SAMPLE
Thirteen contrasting people with tinnitus who had sought help from clinical services in England.


RESULTS
We identified that the thinking patterns that people held around their tinnitus impacted how they experienced it. A core category emerged from the data, "sense making". Around "sense making" eight other themes operated. Results are discussed in relation to the literature on tinnitus acceptance and beliefs.


CONCLUSIONS
The aim of interventions is to foster understanding and enhance perceptions of control, which may minimise the emotional impact of tinnitus and reduce the perceived severity of consequences.
['Pryce|Helen|H|0000-0001-5183-6236', 'Chilvers|Katie|K|']
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological D000328:Adult D000368:Aged D001307:Auditory Perception D017281:Cost of Illness D004644:Emotions D004739:England D005260:Female D066296:Grounded Theory D006309:Hearing D006801:Humans D007407:Interviews as Topic D008297:Male D008875:Middle Aged D036301:Qualitative Research D011788:Quality of Life D014012:Tinnitus
acceptance qualitative Tinnitus psycho-social