Illness Representations, Acceptance, Coping and Psychological Distress in Chronic Tinnitus.

I confirm that the literature review and research report contained within this thesis have not been submitted for any other degree, or to any other institution. Summary Tinnitus is a prevalent condition which is associated with significant distress and disability in a substantial proportion of the population. The variance in distress is not adequately explained by audiological characteristics of the symptom and it has been widely accepted that other variables are influential in determining the relationship between the stimulus and distress. A review of the literature highlights significant relationships between many psychosocial variables and tinnitus severity (impact on life). However, conclusions based on existing research are limited due to methodological weaknesses and widespread neglect of coherent theoretical foundations. The review identifies a need for further research with comprehensive theoretical underpinning to provide a greater understanding of adaptation to chronic tinnitus. One theoretical framework which has been applied extensively to explore the process o