CUTTING THROUGH THE NOISE AROUND CBT AND TINNITUS

Audiology Worldnews (AWN): What is the current state of evidence supporting the use of CBT in tackling the impact of tinnitus? Hashir Aazh (HA): CBT is widely supported as the most effective treatment for tinnitus-related distress. The evidence base for audiologist-delivered CBT is emerging and encouraging. Randomised controlled trials, patient-reported outcomes, and real-world studies show consistent improvements in tinnitus distress, and that both internet-based and face-to-face CBT significantly reduce tinnitus handicap and improve quality of life. While the field would benefit from more large-scale studies, current findings demonstrate both efficacy and strong patient support for receiving CBT from trained audiologists, and it has often outperformed standard counselling interventions.   AWN: When is an audiologist prepared to provide CBT to tinnitus patients alone, i.e. without input from a psychologist? [caption id="attachment_141230"...