Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy as a treatment for chronic tinnitus: a randomized controlled trial
Open accessAbstract
BACKGROUND: Tinnitus is experienced by up to 15% of the population and can lead to significant disability and distress. There is rarely a medical or surgical target and psychological therapies are recommended. We investigated whether mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) could offer an effective new therapy for tinnitus. METHODS: This single-site randomized controlled trial compared MBCT to intensive relaxation training (RT) for chronic, distressing tinnitus in adults. Both treatments involved 8 weekly, 120-min sessions focused on either relaxation (RT) or mindfulness meditation (MBCT). Assessments were completed at baseline and at treatment commencement 8 weeks later. The primary outcomes were tinnitus severity (Tinnitus Questionnaire) and psychological distress (Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation - Non-Risk, CORE-NR), 16 weeks after baseline. The analysis utilized a modified intention-to-treat approach. RESULTS: A total of 75 patients were randomly allocated to MBCT (n = 39) or RT (n = 36). Both groups showed significant reductions in tinnitus severity and loudness, psychological distress, anxiety, depression, and disability. MBCT led to a significantly greater reduction in tinnitus severity than RT, with a mean difference of 6.3 (95% CI 1.3-11.4, p = 0.016). Effects persisted 6 months later, with a mean difference of 7.2 (95% CI 2.1-2.3, p = 0.006) and a standardized effect size of 0.56 (95% CI 0.16-0.96). Treatment was effective regardless of initial tinnitus severity, duration, or hearing loss. CONCLUSIONS: MBCT is effective in reducing tinnitus severity in chronic tinnitus patients compared to intensive RT. It also reduces psychological distress and disability. Future studies should explore the generalizability of this approach and how outcome relates to different aspects of the intervention.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
It was not possible to examine whether mindfulness-based intervention gains for hearing-related distress were maintained at follow-up because this was assessed in only one study.
“It was not possible to examine whether gains were maintained at follow-up as this was only assessed in one study (McKenna et al., 2017).”
From A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Exploring Effects of Third-Wave Psychological Therapies on Hearing-Related Distress, Depression, Anxiety, and Quality of Life in People With Audiological Problems. (2022) · cites this paper as McKenna et al., 2017
No significant differences between the third-wave therapy condition and other treatments were reported in the remaining two randomized controlled trials.
“No significant differences between the third-wave therapy condition and other treatments were reported in the remaining two RCTs (Hesser et al., 2012;McKenna et al., 2017).”
From A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Exploring Effects of Third-Wave Psychological Therapies on Hearing-Related Distress, Depression, Anxiety, and Quality of Life in People With Audiological Problems. (2022) · cites this paper as McKenna et al., 2017
Adverse events were only reported in two studies: no adverse events were reported in one study, while two events were reported in the other and considered unrelated to the intervention.
“Adverse events were only reported two studies: no adverse events were reported in one study (Gans et al., 2014), while two events were reported in the other study, though these were considered to be unrelated to the intervention (McKenna et al., 2017).”
From A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Exploring Effects of Third-Wave Psychological Therapies on Hearing-Related Distress, Depression, Anxiety, and Quality of Life in People With Audiological Problems. (2022) · cites this paper as McKenna et al., 2017
Both groups showed significant reductions in tinnitus loudness, psychological distress, anxiety, and depression.
“Moreover, both groups showed significant reductions in tinnitus loudness, psychological distress, anxiety, and depression.”
From Research trends and hotspots of cognitive behavioral therapy for tinnitus: a bibliometric analysis (2025) · cites this paper as McKenna et al., 2017
After an 8-week treatment period, patients in the MBCT group experienced significantly greater reductions in tinnitus severity compared to the RT group, with therapeutic effects persisting at a 6-month follow-up.
“The results indicated that after an 8-week treatment period, patients in the MBCT group experienced significantly greater reductions in tinnitus severity compared to the RT group, with the therapeutic effects persisting at a 6-month follow-up.”
From Research trends and hotspots of cognitive behavioral therapy for tinnitus: a bibliometric analysis (2025) · cites this paper as McKenna et al., 2017
Cites
The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale
Zigmond, A. S., & Snaith, R. P. (1983) · Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica · doi:10.1111/j.1600-0447.1983.tb09716.x · Cited by 47,139 · see citing works
The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being
Brown, K. W., & Ryan, R. M. (2003) · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · doi:10.1037/0022-3514.84.4.822 · Cited by 13,448 · see citing works
Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition.
Bishop, S. R., Lau, M., Shapiro, S., Carlson, L., Anderson, N. D., Carmody, J., Segal, Z. V., Abbey, S., Speca, M., Velting, D., et al. (2004) · Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice · doi:10.1093/clipsy.bph077 · Cited by 7,234 · see citing works
The Work and Social Adjustment Scale: a simple measure of impairment in functioning
Mundt, J. C., Marks, I. M., Shear, M. K., & Greist, J. M. (2002) · British Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1192/bjp.180.5.461 · Cited by 2,515 · see citing works
Mindfulness-based therapy: a comprehensive meta-analysis
Khoury, B., Lecomte, T., Fortin, G., Masse, M., Therien, P., Bouchard, V., Chapleau, M.-A., Paquin, K., & Hofmann, S. G. (2013) · Clinical Psychology Review · doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2013.05.005 · Cited by 2,003 · see citing works
Ludwig, D. S. (2008) · JAMA · doi:10.1001/jama.300.11.1350 · Cited by 957 · see citing works
The Tinnitus Functional Index: Development of a New Clinical Measure for Chronic, Intrusive Tinnitus
Meikle, M. B., Henry, J. A., Griest, S. E., Stewart, B. J., Abrams, H. B., McArdle, R., Myers, P. J., Newman, C. W., Sandridge, S., Turk, D. C., et al. (2012) · Ear & Hearing · doi:10.1097/aud.0b013e31822f67c0 · Cited by 792 · see citing works
Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy to prevent relapse in recurrent depression.
Kuyken, W., Byford, S., Taylor, R. S., Watkins, E., Holden, E., White, K., Barrett, B., Byng, R., Evans, A., Mullan, E., et al. (2008) · Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology · doi:10.1037/a0013786 · Cited by 770 · see citing works
Applied relaxation: Description of a coping technique and review of controlled studies
Öst, L.-G. (1987) · Behaviour Research and Therapy · doi:10.1016/0005-7967(87)90017-9 · Cited by 605 · see citing works
CORE: Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation
Evans, C., Mellor-Clark, J., Margison, F., Barkham, M., Audin, K., Connell, J., & McGrath, G. (2000) · Journal of Mental Health · doi:10.1080/713680250 · Cited by 560 · see citing works
(2013) · Cited by 481 · see citing works
Cognitive behavioural therapy for tinnitus
Martinez-Devesa, P., Perera, R., Theodoulou, M., & Waddell, A. (2010) · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · doi:10.1002/14651858.cd005233.pub3 · Cited by 477 · see citing works
(2012) · Ear and Hearing · doi:10.1097/aud.0b013e3182597b3e · Cited by 434 · see citing works
Hesser, H., Weise, C., Westin, V. Z., & Andersson, G. (2011) · Clinical Psychology Review · doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2010.12.006 · Cited by 340 · see citing works
Cima, R. F. F., Maes, I. H. L., Joore, M. A., Scheyen, D., Refaie, A. E., Baguley, D., Anteunis, L. J. C., van Breukelen, G., & Vlaeyen, J. W. S. (2012) · The Lancet · doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(12)60469-3 · Cited by 316 · see citing works
Systematic review and meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials examining tinnitus management.
Hoare, D. J., Kowalkowski, V. L., Kang, S., & Hall, D. A. (2011) · The Laryngoscope · doi:10.1002/lary.21825 · Cited by 255 · see citing works
A scientific cognitive-behavioral model of tinnitus: Novel conceptualizations of tinnitus distress.
McKenna, L., Handscomb, L., Hoare, D. J., & Hall, D. A. (2014) · Frontiers in Neurology · doi:10.3389/fneur.2014.00196 · Cited by 232 · see citing works
Self-citationCompetence in Teaching Mindfulness-Based Courses: Concepts, Development and Assessment
Crane, R. S., Kuyken, W., Williams, J. M. G., Hastings, R. P., Cooper, L., & Fennell, M. J. V. (2012) · Mindfulness · doi:10.1007/s12671-011-0073-2 · Cited by 224 · see citing works
Andersson, G., Kaldo, V., Ström, L., & Strömgren, T. (2003) · Journal of Psychosomatic Research · doi:10.1016/s0022-3999(02)00575-5 · Cited by 175 · see citing works
Catastrophizing and Fear of Tinnitus Predict Quality of Life in Patients With Chronic Tinnitus
Cima, R. F. F., Crombez, G., & Vlaeyen, J. W. S. (2011) · Ear and Hearing · doi:10.1097/aud.0b013e31821106dd · Cited by 150 · see citing works
Møller, A. R. (2007) · Progress in brain research · doi:10.1016/s0079-6123(07)66004-x · Cited by 132 · see citing works
Is it the sound or your relationship to it? The role of acceptance in predicting tinnitus impact
Westin, V., Hayes, S. C., & Andersson, G. (2008) · Behaviour Research and Therapy · doi:10.1016/j.brat.2008.08.008 · Cited by 128 · see citing works
Gardner-Nix, J., Backman, S., Barbati, J., & Grummitt, J. (2008) · Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare · doi:10.1258/jtt.2007.070811 · Cited by 124 · see citing works
Maximizing Psychotherapy Outcome beyond Evidence-Based Medicine
Lambert, M. J. (2017) · Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics · doi:10.1159/000455170 · Cited by 123 · see citing works
Fackrell, K., Hall, D. A., Barry, J. G., & Hoare, D. J. (2015) · Hearing Research · doi:10.1016/j.heares.2015.09.009 · Cited by 118 · see citing works
The effect of waiting: a meta-analysis of wait-list control groups in trials for tinnitus distress
Hesser, H., Weise, C., Rief, W., & Andersson, G. (2011) · Journal of Psychosomatic Research · doi:10.1016/j.jpsychores.2010.12.006 · Cited by 95 · see citing works
A Randomized Controlled Trial of Mindfulness‐Based Cognitive Therapy for Treating Tinnitus
Philippot, P., Nef, F., Clauw, L., de Romrée, M., & Segal, Z. (2012) · Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy · doi:10.1002/cpp.756 · Cited by 94 · see citing works
Mindfulness-based stress reduction for long-term physical conditions: a systematic review.
Crowe, M., Jordan, J., Burrell, B., Jones, V., Gillon, D., & Harris, S. (2016) · Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1177/0004867415607984 · Cited by 85 · see citing works
The role of anxiety sensitivity and behavioral avoidance in tinnitus disability
Hesser, H., & Andersson, G. (2009) · International Journal of Audiology · doi:10.1080/14992020802635325 · Cited by 67 · see citing works
Dimensions of variation on the CORE‐OM
Lyne, K. J., Barrett, P. T., Evans, C., & Barkham, M. (2006) · British Journal of Clinical Psychology · doi:10.1348/014466505x39106 · Cited by 66 · see citing works
The Role of Fear-Avoidance Cognitions and Behaviors in Patients with Chronic Tinnitus
Kleinstäuber, M., Jasper, K., Schweda, I., Hiller, W., Andersson, G., & Weise, C. (2012) · Cognitive Behaviour Therapy · doi:10.1080/16506073.2012.717301 · Cited by 66 · see citing works
Fava, G. A., Guidi, J., Rafanelli, C., & Sonino, N. (2015) · Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics · doi:10.1159/000366041 · Cited by 62 · see citing works
Kreuzer, P. M., Goetz, M., Holl, M., Schecklmann, M., Landgrebe, M., Staudinger, S., & Langguth, B. (2012) · BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine · doi:10.1186/1472-6882-12-235 · Cited by 51 · see citing works
Hoare, D. J., Broomhead, E., Stockdale, D., & Kennedy, V. (2015) · European Journal for Person Centered Healthcare · doi:10.5750/ejpch.v3i3.984 · Cited by 43 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
Cited by
Sorted by citations
A multidisciplinary European guideline for tinnitus: diagnostics, assessment, and treatment
Cima, R. F. F., Mazurek, B., Haider, H., Kikidis, D., Lapira, A., Noreña, A., & Hoare, D. J. (2019) · HNO · doi:10.1007/s00106-019-0633-7 · Cited by 442 · see citing works
Cognitive behavioural therapy for tinnitus
Fuller, T., Cima, R., Langguth, B., Mazurek, B., Vlaeyen, J. W., & Hoare, D. J. (2020) · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · doi:10.1002/14651858.cd012614.pub2 · Cited by 212 · see citing works
Juul, S., Gluud, C., Simonsen, S., Frandsen, F. W., Kirsch, I., & Jakobsen, J. C. (2021) · BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine · doi:10.1136/bmjebm-2020-111407 · Cited by 135 · see citing works
Changes in Tinnitus Experiences During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Beukes, E. W., Baguley, D., Jacquemin, L., Lourenco, M. P. C. G., Allen, P. M., Onozuka, J., Stockdale, D., Kaldo, V., Andersson, G., & Manchaiah, V. K. C. (2020) · Frontiers in Public Health · doi:10.3389/fpubh.2020.592878 · Cited by 101 · see citing works
Landry, E. C., Sandoval, X. C. R., Simeone, C. N., Tidball, G., Lea, J., & Westerberg, B. D. (2020) · Otology & Neurotology · doi:10.1097/mao.0000000000002472 · Cited by 82 · see citing works
Baer, R., Gu, J., Cavanagh, K., & Strauss, C. (2019) · Psychological Assessment · doi:10.1037/pas0000744 · Cited by 66 · see citing works
S3 Guideline: Chronic Tinnitus
Mazurek, B., Hesse, G., Sattel, H. C., Kratzsch, V., Lahmann, C., & Dobel, C. (2022) · HNO · doi:10.1007/s00106-022-01207-4 · Cited by 67 · see citing works
Schlee, W., Hølleland, S., Bulla, J., Simoes, J. P., Neff, P. K. A., Schoisswohl, S., Wölflick, S., Schecklmann, M., Schiller, A., Staudinger, S., et al. (2020) · Journal of Clinical Medicine · doi:10.3390/jcm9092756 · Cited by 52 · see citing works
“One could also speculate that mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) interventions might represent a promising approach to better cope with negative emotional reactions during a pandemic situation [12,40].”
BackgroundScott, A. J., Bisby, M. A., Heriseanu, A. I., Salameh, Y., Karin, E., Fogliati, R., Dudeney, J., Gandy, M., McLellan, L. F., Wootton, B., et al. (2023) · Clinical Psychology Review · doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2023.102353 · Cited by 45 · see citing works
Living with tinnitus and the health care journey: An interpretative phenomenological analysis.
Marks, E., Smith, P., & McKenna, L. (2019) · British Journal of Health Psychology · doi:10.1111/bjhp.12351 · Cited by 43 · see citing works
Self-citationThe Effect of Mindfulness-Based Interventions on Tinnitus Distress. A Systematic Review
Rademaker, M. M., Stegeman, I., Ho-Kang-You, K. E., Stokroos, R. J., & Smit, A. L. (2019) · Frontiers in Neurology · doi:10.3389/fneur.2019.01135 · Cited by 39 · see citing works
“Both interventions (MBSR and MBCT) consist of 8 weekly group classes that last 2– 2.5 h with a potential, one-time, all-day retreat.”
BackgroundMethodInfluentialReview and Perspective on Brain Bases of Tinnitus
Husain, F., & Khan, R. A. (2023) · Journal of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology · doi:10.1007/s10162-023-00914-1 · Cited by 34 · see citing works
“Recent work has shown the efficacy of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) in reducing tinnitus severity [87–89].”
Turton, L., Souza, P. E., Thibodeau, L. M., Hickson, L. M. H., Gifford, R. H., Bird, J., Stropahl, M., Gailey, L., Fulton, B., Scarinci, N., et al. (2020) · Seminars in Hearing · doi:10.1055/s-0040-1714744 · Cited by 30 · see citing works
Current and Emerging Therapies for Chronic Subjective Tinnitus
Park, K. W., Kullar, P., Malhotra, C., & Stanković, K. M. (2023) · Journal of Clinical Medicine · doi:10.3390/jcm12206555 · Cited by 29 · see citing works
“For example, an RCT comparing the efficacy of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) and intensive relaxation therapy for chronic, distressing tinnitus found significantly greater reductions in self-reported tinnitus severity with MBCT, and persistent effects at 6 months of follow-up [78].”
BackgroundCoping With Tinnitus During the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Beukes, E., Onozuka, J., Brazell, T. P., & Manchaiah, V. (2021) · American Journal of Audiology · doi:10.1044/2021_aja-20-00188 · Cited by 26 · see citing works
Zimmerman, B., Finnegan, M. K., Paul, S., Schmidt, S. A., Tai, Y., Roth, K., Chen, Y., & Husain, F. T. (2019) · Frontiers in Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/fnins.2019.00747 · Cited by 28 · see citing works
“Although the research on these treatments are still in their early days, mindfulnessbased therapies have shown initial promise in modulating the severity of tinnitus (Kreuzer et al., 2012; Philippot et al., 2012; Gans et al., 2014; Roland et al., 2015; McKenna et al., 2017).”
BackgroundCOVID-19 associated anxiety enhances tinnitus
Li, X., He, G., Feng, Y., Yu, X., Zhao, X., Chen, Z., Yin, S., Wang, J., Fan, J., & Dong, C. (2021) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0246328 · Cited by 28 · see citing works
Beukes, E., Fagelson, M. A., Aronson, E., Muñoz, M., Andersson, G., & Manchaiah, V. (2020) · American Journal of Audiology · doi:10.1044/2019_aja-19-00014 · Cited by 25 · see citing works
Marks, E. M., Smith, P. C., & McKenna, L. (2020) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00483 · Cited by 25 · see citing works
“, 2012), MBCT for tinnitus (MBCT-t) includes adaptations focusing on sound and the cognitive model of tinnitus (McKenna et al., 2017).”
BackgroundSelf-citationSystematic Review for the Medical Applications of Meditation in Randomized Controlled Trials
Kim, D.-Y., Hong, S.-H., Jang, S.-H., Park, S., Noh, J.-H., Seok, J.-M., Jo, H.-J., Son, C., & Lee, E. J. (2022) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph19031244 · Cited by 24 · see citing works
“Tinnitus [79] MBCT (M) 75 (2, relaxation) 8 tinnitus symptoms A, attention awareness depressive mood, feeling anxious, stress A, social adjustment”
BackgroundContribution of Tinnitus and Hearing Loss to Depression: NHANES Population Study
Chakrabarty, S., Mudar, R. A., Chen, Y., & Husain, F. T. (2024) · Ear and Hearing · doi:10.1097/aud.0000000000001467 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
“Cognitive behavior therapy and mindfulness-based cognitive behavior therapy, which were developed to treat depression and other mental-health conditions, have been effective in managing bothersome tinnitus (Tunkel et al. 2014; McKenna et al. 2017).”
BackgroundHusain, F. T., Zimmerman, B., Tai, Y., Finnegan, M. K., Kay, E., Khan, F., Menard, C., & Gobin, R. L. (2019) · International Journal of Audiology · doi:10.1080/14992027.2019.1629655 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
“Unlike the McKenna et al. (2017) study that used a minimal psychological distress level as an exclusionary criterion, we used tinnitus severity as an exclusionary criterion, excluding those with low severity from the study, thus providing a better gauge of the true clinical utility of this approach.”
BackgroundMethodResultInfluentialMarks, E. M., Hallsworth, C. A., Vogt, F., Klein, H., & McKenna, L. (2022) · Cognitive Behaviour Therapy · doi:10.1080/16506073.2022.2084155 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
“This compares well with other tinnitus-specific psychological treatments (McKenna et al., 2017).”
ResultSelf-citationCurrent Validated Medical Treatments for Tinnitus
McKenna, L., Vogt, F., & Marks, E. M. (2020) · Otolaryngologic Clinics of North America · doi:10.1016/j.otc.2020.03.007 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
Self-citationKikidis, D., Vassou, E., Schlee, W., Iliadou, E., Markatos, N., Triantafyllou, A., & Langguth, B. (2021) · Journal of Clinical Medicine · doi:10.3390/jcm10081737 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
“Mckenna, 2017 [68] RT Or MBCT Treatment vs.”
BackgroundInvariant structural and functional brain regions associated with tinnitus: A meta-analysis
Moring, J. C., Husain, F. T., Gray, J. P., Franklin, C. G., Peterson, A. L., Resick, P. A., Garrett, A. S., Esquivel, C. R., & Fox, P. T. (2022) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0276140 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
“individuals with tinnitus the techniques to increase their capability of re-directing their focus from their tinnitus and instead to the present moment and engaging in value-based activities, such as mindfulness-based cognitive therapy [72].”
An association between marijuana use and tinnitus
Qian, Z. J., & Alyono, J. C. (2019) · American Journal of Otolaryngology · doi:10.1016/j.amjoto.2019.102314 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
“However, numerous therapies, including masking strategies, hearing amplification, sound/neuromodulation therapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy, have been shown to mitigate its severity [6-8].”
BackgroundPryce, H., & Chilvers, K. (2018) · International Journal of Audiology · doi:10.1080/14992027.2018.1500041 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
Bardy, F., Jacquemin, L., Wong, C. L., Maslin, M. R. D., Purdy, S. C., & Thai-Van, H. (2024) · Frontiers in Audiology and Otology · doi:10.3389/fauot.2023.1302215 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
Cognitive behavioural therapy for tinnitus-related insomnia: evaluating a new treatment approach
Marks, E. M., McKenna, L., & Vogt, F. (2019) · International Journal of Audiology · doi:10.1080/14992027.2018.1547927 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
“The non-risk scale (CORE-NR) is the mean of the 28 non-risk items multiplied by 10 (McKenna et al., 2017).”
BackgroundResultSelf-citationVirtual reality for tinnitus management: a randomized controlled trial
Deshpande, A. K., Bhatt, I. S., & Rojanaworarit, C. (2021) · International Journal of Audiology · doi:10.1080/14992027.2021.1978568 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
“The average value of three trials was marked as the participant’s MML. Finally, the Tinnitus Functional Index (TFI; Meikle et al. 2012) was administered to all participants.”
BackgroundGoshtasbi, K., Tawk, K., Khosravi, P., Abouzari, M., & Djalilian, H. (2024) · Annals of Otology, Rhinology and Laryngology · doi:10.1177/00034894241297594 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Current Tensions and Challenges in Mindfulness Research and Practice
Ainsworth, B., Atkinson, M., AlBedah, E., Duncan, S., Groot, J., Jacobsen, P., James, A., Jenkins, T. A., Kylišová, K., Marks, E., et al. (2023) · Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy · doi:10.1007/s10879-023-09584-9 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
Self-citationMusic to One’s Ears: Familiarity and Music Engagement in People With Parkinson’s Disease
Morris, I. B., Vasudevan, E. V. L., Schedel, M., Weymouth, D., Loomis, J., Pinkhasov, T., & Muratori, L. M. (2019) · Frontiers in Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/fnins.2019.00661 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Lu, T., Wang, Q., Gu, Z., Li, Z., & Yan, Z. (2024) · Brazilian Journal of Otorhinolaryngology · doi:10.1016/j.bjorl.2024.101438 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
What is the burden of tinnitus?
Pryce, H., Dauman, N., & Burns-O’Connell, G. (2023) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.981776 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
“Psychological therapy, particularly cognitive behavioral therapy, is often cited as the most effective intervention for patients with tinnitus (Andersson, 2002; Martinez-Devesa et al., 2010; Cima et al., 2012; McKenna et al., 2017).”
BackgroundFeasibility of Intensive Ecological Sampling of Tinnitus in Intervention Research
Gerull, K. M., Kallogjeri, D., Piccirillo, M. L., Rodebaugh, T. L., Lenze, E. J., & Piccirillo, J. F. (2019) · Otolaryngology · doi:10.1177/0194599819844968 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
“5-35) Does your tinnitus interfere with sleep? Yes, often 2 (8) Yes, sometimes 13 (52) No 10 (40) What is the loudness of your usual tinnitus? 5 (3-10) How much effort does it take to ignore your tinnitus when it is present? Can ignore it with slight effort 8 (30) Can ignore it with some effort 10 (40) Can ignore it w…”
Handscomb, L., Shorter, G. W., Hoare, D. J., & Hall, D. A. (2019) · Ear and Hearing · doi:10.1097/aud.0000000000000826 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
Beukes, E., Lourenço, M. G., Biot, L., Andersson, G., Kaldo, V., Manchaiah, V., & Jacquemin, L. (2021) · International journal of clinical practice · doi:10.1111/ijcp.14196 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Wang, B., Gould, R. L., Kumar, P., Pikett, L., Thompson, B., Gonzalez, S. C., & Bamiou, D.-E. (2022) · American Journal of Audiology · doi:10.1044/2022_aja-21-00162 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Rademaker, M. M., Stegeman, I., Lieftink, A. F., Somers, M., Stokroos, R. J., & Smit, A. L. (2020) · BMJ Open · doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2019-033210 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Conceptual framework for tinnitus: a cognitive model in practice
Ghodratitoostani, I., Vaziri, Z. S., Neto, M. M., Barros, C. D. G. C., Delbem, A. C. B., Hyppolito, M. Â., Jalilvand, H., Louzada, F., & Leite, J. P. (2024) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-023-48006-7 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
“Recently, Probst et al. 23 McKenna et al. 70 conducted a randomized controlled study MBCT to treat chronic tinnitus and reported a significant reduction in the self-report tinnitus loudness perception.”
Lifeworld interpretation of tinnitus
Pryce, H., & Shaw, R. L. (2019) · Medical Humanities · doi:10.1136/medhum-2019-011665 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
“9 14 These approaches depend on individ-ualised reinterpretation of bodily signs (tinnitus) and symptoms (bodily markers of stress).”
Bardon, C., Guillemette, A., Rioux, M.-E., & Rivard, M. (2023) · Disability and Rehabilitation · doi:10.1080/09638288.2022.2104943 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
Gans, J. J., Holst, J., Holmes, C. E., & Hudock, D. (2023) · American Journal of Audiology · doi:10.1044/2022_aja-22-00063 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
Marks, E. M., Hallsworth, C. A., & McKenna, L. (2019) · Trials · doi:10.1186/s13063-019-3778-5 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
Self-citationDispositional Mindfulness, Gratitude and Self-Compassion: Factors Affecting Tinnitus Distress
Reeves, M., Vogt, F., & Marks, E. M. (2021) · Mindfulness · doi:10.1007/s12671-020-01569-2 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
Self-citationSchlee, W., Simoes, J., Neff, P., & Pryss, R. (2021) · Journal of Clinical Medicine · doi:10.3390/jcm10184201 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
At-home meditation for tinnitus management
Fitzgerald, B. P., Stocking, C., Ralli, M., & Sheppard, A. (2021) · Hearing Balance and Communication · doi:10.1080/21695717.2020.1870825 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
“While relatively new, it has become routinely used to measure dispositional mindfulness and found reliable and valid across several studies [16,19,27].”
BackgroundMethodHusain, F. T. (2021) · The Psychology of learning and motivation/The psychology of learning and motivation · doi:10.1016/bs.plm.2021.02.002 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Eimontas, J., Gegieckaitė, G., Asačiova, I., Stičinskaitė, N., Arcimavičiūtė, L., Savickaitė, D., Vaitiekūnaitė-Zubriakovienė, D., Polianskis, M., Gans, J. J., Beukes, E. W., et al. (2023) · Trials · doi:10.1186/s13063-023-07299-9 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Kothari, D. S., Nieri, C. A., Tanenbaum, Z. G., Linker, L. A., & Rangarajan, S. V. (2023) · Otolaryngology · doi:10.1002/ohn.523 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Current Therapeutic Trends for Tinnitus Cure and Control: A Scoping Review
CHHAYA, V. A., Patel, D., Mehta, S. P., Rajvir, J. P., Jhinjhuwadia, V. J., Sehgal, P., & KHAMBHOLJA, K. M. (2023) · Indian Journal of Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery · doi:10.1007/s12070-023-03910-2 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Research trends and hotspots of cognitive behavioral therapy for tinnitus: a bibliometric analysis
He, Y., Liu, J., Cheng, H., Ye, H., Li, C., Gao, Y., & Xu, X. (2025) · Frontiers in Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/fnins.2025.1536224 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Jackson, J. G., & Woolmer, C. D. (2024) · Mindfulness · doi:10.1007/s12671-024-02357-y · Cited by 2 · see citing works
“Previous research (McKenna et al., 2017) has shown that MBCT can reduce catastrophisation in individuals with tinnitus, and there is value in online interventions that can be administered in the early stages of tinnitus onset to prevent the accumulation of further issues (e.g. depressive…”
InfluentialZhao, Y., Li, Y., Zhang, Y., Yan, M., Du, Q., Huang, J., Li, F., Han, D., & Zhou, Y. (2026) · JAAD International · doi:10.1016/j.jdin.2026.02.003 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
“Originally developed to prevent depression recurrence 10,11 MBCT has been increasingly applied to chronic illnesses such as chronic pain 12 and tinnitus 13 showing favorable outcomes.”
Cognitive behavioral therapy for patients suffering with tinnitus distress
Miller, L. (2023) · JAAPA · doi:10.1097/01.jaa.0000947036.33633.84 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
McKenna, L., & Vogt, F. (2024) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-35647-6_45 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Self-citationThe Use of Virtual Reality for Managing Chronic Tinnitus
Worms, J., & Deshpande, A. K. (2021) · The Hearing Journal · doi:10.1097/01.hj.0000804852.37495.ec · Cited by 2 · see citing works
The Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in the Management of Tinnitus.
Jariengprasert, C., Watanapornmongkol, K., Kiatthanabumrung, S., & Wisupagan, T. (2022) · International Tinnitus Journal · doi:10.5935/0946-5448.20220001 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
“This suggests that both treatments were effective in the management of tinnitus, although mindfulness meditation was superior to relaxation therapy 29 .”
BackgroundMethodCognitive Behavioral Therapy for Tinnitus Distress
Melehin, A. I. (2020) · Archives in Neurology & Neuroscience · doi:10.33552/ann.2020.08.000679 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
“The presence of such noise in the ears is called tinnitus (subjective tinnitus) - a subjective («phantom») auditory perception (not an auditory hallucination), which is the result solely of the activity of the nervous system, without any participation of mechanical, vibrational effects on the inner ear [1-6].”
BackgroundAproximaciones psicoterapéuticas para el manejo del tinnitus crónico no pulsátil
Marcelo Arancibia, M., & Cristian Papuzinski, A. (2022) · Revista de otorrinolaringología y cirugía de cabeza y cuello · doi:10.4067/s0718-48162022000300398 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Cui, N., Zhao, C., Xue, J.-L., & Zhu, X. (2024) · World Journal of Clinical Cases · doi:10.12998/wjcc.v12.i28.6165 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
“The impact of sleep deprivation on the severity of tinnitus may be mediated by sleep itself and its negative emotions[17,18].”
Influence of Spirituality on Severity, Quality of Life, and Mental Health of Tinnitus Patients
Ouverney, L. D. O. C., Lucchetti, G., da Silva, C. H., Albuquerque, J. B., Ezequiel, O. D. S., & Lucchetti, A. L. G. (2025) · Annals of Otology Rhinology & Laryngology · doi:10.1177/00034894251349411 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy for tinnitus: Evaluation of long-term outcomes
Marks, E. M., McKenna, L., & Vogt, F. (2020) · Clinical Psychology Forum · doi:10.53841/bpscpf.2020.1.334.45 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Self-citationWolever, R. Q., Kane, R. J., Hazelton, A. G., Bechard, E. M., & Tucci, D. L. (2019) · Advances in Integrative Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.aimed.2019.04.005 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Acúfenos subjetivos invalidantes
Londero, A., Nicolas-Puel, C., Puel, J., & Loche, V. (2020) · EMC - Otorrinolaringología · doi:10.1016/s1632-3475(20)43714-2
Acufeni soggettivi invalidanti
Londero, A., Nicolas-Puel, C., Puel, J., & Loche, V. (2020) · EMC - Otorinolaringoiatria · doi:10.1016/s1639-870x(20)43763-8
COVID-19 Associated Anxiety Enhances Tinnitus: A Case Control StudyPreprint
Chen, Z., Li, X., He, G., Feng, Y., Yu, X., Zhao, X., Yin, S., Wang, J., Fan, J., & Dong, C. (2020) · Research Square · doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-51621/v1
Mindfulness-Based Therapy in the Management of Tinnitus
Prabhu, P. (2022) · Advances in psychology, mental health, and behavioral studies (APMHBS) book series · doi:10.4018/978-1-7998-8682-2.ch011
Faco, H. A. L., Gegare, R. J. D., Laluna, C. R. P., Larido, G. S. S., Torino, J. J. R., Pedregosa, D. M. S., Villegas, A. M. A., & Abiso-Padilla, J. (2022) · GSC Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences · doi:10.30574/gscbps.2022.18.1.0375
The incidence of anxiety in patients with chronic subjective tinnitus
Arsovic, N. A., Dudvarski, Z., & Šolaja, G. (2021) · Биомедицинска истраживања · doi:10.5937/bii2101019k
“Approximately, one-third to half adults report a moderate annoyance, even though 1–2% report significant distress and disability which can negatively affect his/her daily performance or lead to insomnia, anxiety, depression, hearing problems, and usually can be associated with cognitive disorders (or data cognitive pr…”
BackgroundDevelopment of a Scale to Examine Responses to Bodily Sensations
Roche-Freedman, K. E., Brown, R. F., Monaghan, C., Thorsteinsson, E., & Brown, J. (2022) · Psychological Reports · doi:10.1177/00332941221074262
Öst, L., Liberman, L. C., & Fladvad, A. (2021) · Comprehensive Clinical Psychology · doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-818697-8.00141-2
(2022) · Thieme Publishers New York eBooks · doi:10.1055/b-0042-189041
A Psychological Approach to Functional Illness
Carlson, A. A., & Tkachuk, G. A. (2023) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-12998-8_19
Primjena mindfulnessa u području edukacijske rehabilitacije
Martinec, R., Domić, D., & Miholić, D. (2024) · Hrvatska revija za rehabilitacijska istraživanja · doi:10.31299/hrri.60.2.8
Audiology Through a Psychologically Informed Practice Lens
Laird, E., Bryant, C., Barr, C., & Bennett, R. J. (2024) · Ear and Hearing · doi:10.1097/aud.0000000000001603
Maragkoudakis, P., Kalentakis, Z., & Economou, V. (2025) · Preprints.org · doi:10.20944/preprints202505.1402.v1
Kalentakis, Z., Economou, V., & Maragkoudakis, P. (2025) · Cureus · doi:10.7759/cureus.91132
“A notable reduction in emotional distress, including anxiety and catastrophic thinking, was also observed among patients with chronic tinnitus who underwent mindfulness-based cognitive therapy [19].”
Beyond the Ring: Exploring Innovative and Multidimensional Approaches to Tinnitus Management
Rajasekaran, V., Fernando, B., & Pandian, S. P. M. (2025) · Asian Journal of Pharmaceutical Research and Health Care · doi:10.4103/ajprhc.ajprhc_118_25
Enhancing tinnitus management through a virtual reality multimedia application
Darji, Z., Searchfield, G. D., Wünsche, B. C., Barde, A., & Sanders, P. J. (2026) · Multimedia Tools and Applications · doi:10.1007/s11042-026-21310-w
“Currently, tinnitus is managed with hearing aids or cochlear implants, psychological approaches, and sound therapy [12–15 ].”
Caban, W., Holas, P., Kuncewicz, M., & Niemczyk, K. (2026) · Audiology and Neurotology · doi:10.1159/000550912
“The results suggest that individuals with high tinnitus distress may be less anxious if they possess greater mindfulness or self-compassion, supporting cognitive behavioral and acceptance-based models of tinnitus [25, 47].”
Mindfulness-based therapy for chronic tinnitus: a narrative review
Zhang, Z.-C., Xu, Q., Wang, J., Luo, Y., Shao, Q., Li, Y., Lu, H., & Lu, J. (2026) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1738053
“McKenna et al. (2017) reported that, compared with relaxation therapy, Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) was associated with greater improvement in tinnitus-related distress and psychological distress, with benefits maintained at 1-month and 6-month follow-up.”
Honorato, M. C. M., Martins, M. L., Ferreira, L. M. D. B. M., Mantello, É. B., & da Rosa, M. R. D. (2026) · CoDAS · doi:10.1590/2317-1782/e20250182pt
Use of mindfulness in the treatment of tinnitus: consensus based on the opinion of Brazilian experts
Honorato, M. C. M., Martins, M. L., Ferreira, L. M. D. B. M., Mantello, E. B., & da Rosa, M. R. D. (2026) · International Symposium on Cooperative Database Systems for Advanced Applications · doi:10.1590/2317-1782/e20250182en
“Applying this technique to tinnitus has brought benefits, such as reducing the severity of the symptom, psychological suffering, and disability (11) , and decreasing the distress related to tinnitus (9) .”
InfluentialAlbannai, N., Alraqum, F. F., Aladwani, A. N., Alkandari, A. M., Almutairi, R. A., Altahow, R., Dashti, A., Owayed, Y., Alharran, A. M., & Albazee, E. (2026) · European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology · doi:10.1007/s00405-026-10445-z
Carollo, A., Puzzilli, D., Longo, P., Conforti, A., Businco, L. D. R., & Brandimarte, B. (2026) · Life · doi:10.3390/life16101588
“Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy may help selected patients, although it should be presented as a way to alter reactivity and functioning, not as a guaranteed percept-reduction intervention [48].”
Clinical Practice Guideline: Tinnitus Update
Adams, M. E., Cramer, J. D., Tunkel, D. E., Lee, V. S., Bourgeois, J. A., Eshraghi, A. A., Fagelson, M. A., White, K. B., Juliano, A. F. T., Kim, H., et al. (2026) · Otolaryngology · doi:10.1002/ohn.70417 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
- Authors
- McKenna, L., Marks, E. M., Hallsworth, C. A., & Schaette, R.
- Affiliations
- Royal National Throat Nose and Ear Hospital (GB)
- University of Bath (GB)
- University College London (GB)
- Venue
- Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics
- Publisher
- S. Karger AG
- Published
- 2017
- Volume
- 86
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 351-361
- ISSN
- 0033-3190 (ISSN-L)
- 1423-0348
- OpenAlex
- W2765740363
- Cited by
- 93
- References
- 34
- Citations by year
- 2026: 9 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 13 · 2021: 13 · 2020: 16 · 2019: 15 · 2018: 1
- FWCI
- 5.47
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Sensory Systems › Hearing, Cochlea, Tinnitus, Genetics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Speech and Hearing › Noise Effects and Management
- Keywords
- chronic tinnitus, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, relaxation training, mindfulness meditation, psychological distress, tinnitus severity, anxiety, depression, disability, treatment effects
- MeSH terms
- Chronic Disease, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Relaxation Therapy, Severity of Illness Index, Stress, Psychological, Tinnitus, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Treatment Outcome, Mindfulness
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
