MONDAY, March 30, 2026 (NewsDay News) — Chronic tinnitus is independently associated with symptoms of depression and anxiety, according to a study published online March 18.Neuropsychiatric disease and treatment.
Enes Sirma, of Gazi Yasargil University of Health Sciences Teaching and Research Hospital in Diyarbakır, Turkey, and colleagues assessed the prevalence of mood symptoms among adults with chronic tinnitus, as well as whether tinnitus severity contributes to psychological burden. The analysis included 100 adults, lasting at least six months.
The researchers found that tinnitus severity showed moderate positive correlations with symptoms of depression (r = 0.50) and anxiety (r = 0.48). In adjusted analyses, Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) scores were independently associated with higher Depression Inventory-II scores (β = 0.42) and Beck Anxiety Inventory scores (β = 0.39). Severe tinnitus (THI ≥ 58) significantly increased the odds of moderate to severe depression (odds ratio, 3.10) and anxiety (odds ratio, 2.84). Just under a third of participants had symptoms of clinical depression and anxiety (28 and 31 percent, respectively).
“These findings highlight the importance of routine mental health screening and multidisciplinary management in ENT practices,” the authors wrote.
