Online cognitive behavioral therapy shows mixed results across tinnitus questionnaires
A review found improvements on several distress, sleep and mood measures, while other tinnitus questionnaires did not show statistically significant improvements.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
Online cognitive behavioral therapy improved some measures of tinnitus distress, insomnia, anxiety and depression in the pooled trials. Results were not consistent across tinnitus questionnaires: handicap and cognition scores did not improve significantly. The abstract therefore supports a qualified account of symptom-score changes, while leaving the comparison treatments and durability of effects unclear.
The abstract does not identify the control conditions, assessment timing or whether score differences were clinically meaningful. Without these details, it is difficult to judge the practical size or persistence of the reported benefits.
Questionnaires did not agree
Scores improved on the Tinnitus Functional Index and Tinnitus Questionnaire, but not significantly on the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory or tinnitus cognition questionnaire. This mixed pattern limits any broad claim that all aspects of tinnitus improved.
Related symptoms also mattered
The review also found improvements on questionnaires covering insomnia, anxiety and depression. These were measured symptom outcomes. The abstract does not show that therapy eliminated tinnitus or establish how long changes in distress, sleep or mood lasted.
The original publication
Effects of Internet-based and mobile device-based cognitive behavioral therapy on tinnitus intervention: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Xian Q, Zhou J, Li X et al.
Explore (NY) · 2025
- PubMed ID
- 40818309
- Record checked
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