Tinnitus and stress in adults: a scoping review

ObjectiveTinnitus and stress are recurrently reported together. The strength and direction of this relationship is not clear. The aim of this review is to catalogue the evidence of this relationship, how it has been described in adults and which instruments were used.DesignFive-stage framework was followed. An online search of databases and published journals were conducted. The main inclusion criteria were original studies published in English and conducted in an adult human population, in which both tinnitus and stress were measured using different instruments.Study samples5699 records were identified in the searching stage and 50 studies were eligible for data extraction.ResultsMeasurements of perceived stress were most frequently used. Tinnitus patients tend to report louder and more bothersome tinnitus when they are stressed, but not all tinnitus patients associated stress with the onset or the severity of their tinnitus. Any positive correlation reported between stress and tinnitus levels varied in strength according to the used instrument. Post-intervention changes in stress and tinnitus levels showed inconsistency.ConclusionThere is considerable room for further research to study the relationship between stress and tinnitus. We highlight principal issues that should be considered in future studies