A Longitudinal Exploration of Self-Reported Hearing Loss, Tinnitus, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Treatment Outcomes in Australian Veterans
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 19306204 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Sonia Terhaag (0000-0002-6784-3972, Mental Health Australia, corresponding author), Andrea Phelps (0000-0002-9235-8012, Mental Health Australia), Alexandra Howard (0000-0002-7663-9156, Mental Health Australia), Meaghan O’Donnell (0000-0003-4349-0022, Mental Health Australia), SEAN COWLISHAW (0000-0002-8523-3713, Mental Health Australia) |
| Year | 2021 |
| Volume | 83 |
| Issue | 8 |
| Pages | 863-869 |
| Publication date | 2021-10-01 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Psychosomatic Medicine (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0033-3174 • E-ISSN: 1534-7796 |
| Publisher | Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1097/psy.0000000000000978 |
| PMID | 34267087 |
| OpenAlex | W3182045877 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 32 |
OBJECTIVE: Tinnitus, hearing loss, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are common conditions among veterans. Shared underlying symptoms, such as hypervigilance and heightened sense of threat, may interfere with talk-based psychological treatments. The aim was to investigate the prevalence and risk factors for self-reported tinnitus and hearing loss among Australian treatment-seeking veterans, as well as links with PTSD symptoms and quality of life (QOL) after treatment. METHODS: Australian veterans participating in hospital-based PTSD treatment (n = 523) completed self-report measures of subjective hearing impairment, service-related factors, PTSD symptoms, and QOL at treatment intake and discharge, as well as 3- and 9-month follow-ups. Univariate analyses of covariance modeled symptom change over time. RESULTS: More than half of veterans on PTSD treatment self-reported doctor-diagnosed hearing loss or tinnitus, whereas 43% reported both. However, 75% reported subjective mild to moderate hearing impairment, and only 1% reported severe impairment. Service-related factors, such as longer length of service and exposure to explosions, were risk factors for having any hearing condition. After controlling for intake scores, there were no significant differences on PTSD or QOL outcomes over time between those with and without hearing conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Although self-reported tinnitus and hearing loss are prevalent among veterans, those with severe hearing impairments are unlikely to be represented in this context. There is a need for psychological treatments that are accessible to patients with severe hearing impairments, which should be examined routinely among military members accessing psychological treatments
Audiology · Context (archaeology) · Hearing loss · Posttraumatic stress · Psychiatry · Quality of life (healthcare) · Tinnitus · Clinical Psychology · Hearing Loss and Rehabilitation · Hearing, Cochlea, Tinnitus, Genetics · Medicine · Psychology · Vestibular and auditory disorders
Psychometric Properties of the Life Events Checklist
Psychotherapy for Military-Related PTSD
Multiple imputation for missing data in epidemiological and clinical research
The Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM–5 (Caps-5)
When and how should multiple imputation be used for handling missing data in randomised clinical trials – a practical guide with flowcharts
The Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM‐5 (PCL‐5)
| Highly cited | No |
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