British Tinnitus Association

The British Tinnitus Association - registered charity no: 1011145

Swedish Internet Therapy May Work

The results of the first Internet based study on tinnitus, carried out by a team at the Departments of Audiology and Psychology at the University Hospital in Uppsala, Sweden, suggest Internet based therapy can help people cope with tinnitus.

Previous studies have found face-to-face cognitive behavioural therapy - which helps patients unlearn undesirable behavioural reactions through awareness, goal-setting and homework assignments - can help with tinnitus. 'Psychological treatment for tinnitus is not aimed at eliminating the tinnitus, the goal is to reduce the annoyance', lead study author Gerhard Andersson PhD said.

The team recruited nearly 120 tinnitus patients, aged between 18 and 70, through newspaper articles as well as the Swedish Hard of Hearing Association's website. Half of the participants received treatment immediately, while the other half, who received delayed treatment, served as the control group.

Participants received six weeks of cognitive behavioural exercises, including relaxation, breathing and sleep management training, via the Internet. They were required to submit homework assignments and weekly reports on a web page and were encouraged to email the researchers with their questions and concerns. The researchers found those who received the web therapy reduced their tinnitus related symptoms including distress, depression, annoyance and anxiety, to a greater extent than the control group.

However, the results were not dramatic: less than a third of those receiving Internet treatment reported achieving substantial improvement of their symptoms. But even without substantial improvement, it seems that a majority of those who completed the course found the treatment to be beneficial.

A high percentage of participants dropped out at the beginning of the study, suggesting that those who are quick to send an email response to a study advertisement may be just as quick to to drop out when confronted with a demanding treatment regimen.

The researchers regard the Internet as a complement rather than an alternative to face-to-face treatment. But since it's cost effective and convenient for those who are far from treatment centres and it can be modified and individualised, unlike self-help books, the Internet shows great promise as a tinnitus treatment tool, according to the study.

'Most likely, the Internet will change the way health care is provided in the future, and hence there is an urgent need to evaluate the pros and cons of Internet-administered treatment'. Andersson concludes.

The report on the study was originally published in Psychosomatic Medicine Journal: www.psychosomaticmedicine.org

Article taken from BTA's Quiet Magazine - Autumn 2003.