18 Percent of Adults With Tinnitus Reduce Work Hours, Stop Work

TUESDAY, Feb. 17, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Eighteen percent of adults with tinnitus reduce work hours or leave work, according to a study published online Jan. 28 in Brain Sciences.

Eldre Beukes, Ph.D., from Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, England, and colleagues used cross-sectional and longitudinal data and employed a mixed-methods design to enable comparing work productivity before and after undertaking an internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy intervention (ICBT) for tinnitus. Data were included from 449 participants who were seeking to enroll in an internet-based psychological intervention; 200 of these participants had completed ICBT.

The researchers found that 81 percent reported no change in work patterns preintervention, while 11 and 7 percent, respectively, worked fewer hours and had stopped working because of tinnitus; 1 percent received disability allowance. Prior to undertaking the intervention, participants were significantly less effective in their work capacity compared with postintervention and at follow-up; improvements were observed in tinnitus distress, anxiety, depression, and insomnia for the overall sample and postintervention improvements. When comparing those working and not working, there was a significant time difference between group interactions for tinnitus, anxiety, and insomnia, but not for depression and quality of life. Challenges related to attention, fatigue, and communication, as well as coping strategies and role modifications, were highlighted in qualitative findings.

“Although our results are preliminary, and a control group would be needed to confirm the effects, they provide promising evidence that targeted tinnitus interventions may help people remain effective and engaged in their jobs,” Beukes said in a statement.

Abstract/Full Text