Acceptance and Tinnitus Handicap in Chronic Tinnitus: Associations With Sleep Quality and Depression—A Cross‐Sectional Study

TL;DR

This study finds that higher acceptance of chronic tinnitus is linked to better sleep quality and fewer depressive symptoms, suggesting acceptance-based therapies could improve patients' well-being.

Contribution

The study is among the first to systematically explore how tinnitus acceptance correlates with depression and sleep quality in chronic tinnitus patients.

Findings

Tinnitus acceptance strongly correlates with lower tinnitus distress (THI r = –0.667) and moderately with fewer depressive symptoms and better sleep quality.

THI was the only significant independent predictor of tinnitus acceptance, while depression and sleep quality were not.

The observed associations remained significant after controlling for shared variance between measures.

Abstract

This study aims to examine the association of tinnitus acceptance on sleep quality and depression in chronic tinnitus patients, addressing a gap in the literature on acceptance processes and quality of life.

A total of 130 patients (47 female, 83 male; mean age 46.75 ± 14.02) were assessed using the Tinnitus Acceptance Questionnaire (TAQ), Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Correlation, linear regression, and logistic regression analyses were performed. Acceptance scores were divided into “low” and “high” groups (median 41.0).

Tinnitus acceptance was significantly associated with depression and sleep quality. A strong negative correlation was found with THI (r = –0.667, p < 0.001), and moderate negative correlations with BDI (r = –0.438) and PSQI (r = –0.401). Regression analyses identified THI as the only significant predictor of tinnitus acceptance (β = –0.047, OR = 0.95), while BDI and PSQI were not independent predictors. Partial correlation and multicollinearity tests confirmed that these associations remained significant after controlling for shared variance. This indicates that the relationships were not only attributable to overlapping item content.

Higher levels of tinnitus acceptance were associated with lower tinnitus distress, fewer depressive symptoms, and better sleep quality. These relationships are correlational and should be interpreted with caution. Integrating acceptance‐based components into psychological support programs may be a promising approach, which warrants further confirmation in longitudinal and interventional studies.

This study examines the associations between tinnitus acceptance, sleep quality, and depression in individuals with chronic tinnitus. A total of 130 participants (mean age = 46.8) were assessed using the TAQ, THI, BDI, and PSQI. Tinnitus acceptance showed a strong negative correlation with THI and moderate negative correlations with BDI and PSQI. Regression analyses identified THI as the strongest predictor of tinnitus acceptance, while depression and sleep quality were not independent predictors. Partial correlation and multicollinearity tests confirmed that these relationships persisted after accounting for shared variance. Higher acceptance was associated with lower tinnitus distress, fewer depressive symptoms, and better sleep quality. These findings highlight correlational links between tinnitus acceptance and psychological well‐being, suggesting that acceptance‐based approaches may contribute to improving quality of life in tinnitus patients.

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