Tinnitus Interferes With Daily Life Activities: A Psychometric Examination of the Tinnitus Disability Index

Objectives: Tinnitus Disability Index (TDI) is presented as a novel and brief self-report measure for the assessment of the interference of tinnitus with performance in specific daily life activities. We hypothe-sized that the TDI is a reliable and valid measure and that tinnitus disability is strongly associated with tinnitus severity, subjective tinnitus intensity ratings, and ratings of general health. Design: Six hundred fifteen tinnitus patients from across the Netherlands completed online a number of questionnaires about their tinnitus, their general health, and demographics. Two samples were extracted by a random split: Sample I (N 311) for exploratory factor analysis and Sample II (N 304) for confirmatory analysis, using structural equation modeling. One hundred forty-three of the first included respondents repeated assessment after a 2-wk time interval for test/retest analysis. Regression analyses were employed to investigate construct validity. Results: Present analyses reveal that tinnitus disability, as measured with the TDI, might be best understood as a single-component construct, that is, one single underlying factor. The TDI is reliable over time, and tinnitus-related disability, as measured with the TDI, is strongly associated with subjective ratings of tinnitus intensity, nega-tively associated with quality of life ratings, and distress due to tinnitus. Conclusions: The TDI is a brief and easily administered index measuring a unique construct, namely the experienced interference of the tinnitus with daily life activities, which is invaluable in the assessment and treatment of tinnitus patients. (Ear & Hearing 2011;32;623–633