Audiological and psychological profiles of children with tinnitus

Abstract

Purpose: The objective of the study was to gauge the audiological and psychological profiles of children with tinnitus.

Method: We recruited 25 paediatric patients (aged less than 18 years) reporting tinnitus who voluntarily came to our clinic in 2017. The children and their parents underwent a structured interview as part of a consultation in the Tinnitus Department. Otolaryngological examination and tonal and impedance audiometry were performed. Children filled in a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) on loudness, annoyance, and how well they were coping with their tinnitus. Additionally, we used the Revised Children's Anxiety and Depression Scale and the Revised Children Anxiety and Depression Scale (Parent Version) to look for possible depressive and anxiety disorders, and the EAS Temperament Survey to assess the temperament of the children.

Results: The group consisted of 25 children (16 girls and 9 boys) aged from 6 to 16 years. Most of the children had normal hearing. Tinnitus had a significant daily impact on sleeping, studying, and leisure. The VAS scale results revealed that younger children, 6 to 10 years old, found tinnitus more troublesome than older children (11 to 16 years). No child with tinnitus showed any severe symptoms of depression or anxiety. All showed average levels of temperamental traits, close to normative values.

Conclusion: When diagnosing tinnitus in children it is important to recognize that tinnitus affects children differently to adults. Whether children with tinnitus require specific intervention remains a difficult question to answer. Hence, there is an urgent need to devise a questionnaire that can assess the impact of tinnitus on children’s quality of life.

Keywords:

• Tinnitus
• child
• psychology

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflict of interest.