A pilot study examining the effect of integrative tinnitus management (ITM) on tinnitus distress and depression symptoms in veterans.

Tinnitus, or the perception of sound in the absence of an acoustic stimulus, is a highly prevalent and distressing symptom that currently lacks an effective medical treatment. Tinnitus is highly comorbid with insomnia, depression, and anxiety and is the most common service-connected disability among veterans of the U.S. military. This article evaluates Integrative Tinnitus Management (ITM), a multidisciplinary 9-week education and skills-based program aimed at reducing distress related to tinnitus. Thirty U.S. veterans completed a course of ITM at a large, urban Veteran's Administration (VA) hospital and provided pre- and posttreatment data. Veterans completed self-report measures related to tinnitus symptoms, depression symptoms, and mindfulness at pre- and posttreatment. Results demonstrated that veterans who completed the program experienced significant decreases in self-reported distress related to tinnitus symptoms, impairment because of tinnitus symptoms, and depression symptoms. Overall, this preliminary evaluation of ITM suggests it may be an efficacious treatment for tinnitus-related distress and warrants advancement to a randomized control trial (RCT). (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).