Manchaiah, VinayaBeukes, Eldre W.Andersson, GerhardBateman, EmilySwanepoel, De WetUhler, KristinVinay2024-10-162024-10-162024-08Manchaiah, V.; Beukes, E.W.; Andersson, G.; Bateman, E.; Swanepoel, D.W.; Uhler, K.; Vinay. Individuals with Tinnitus Report More Positive Experiences following Internet-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Clinics and Practice 2024, 14, 1615–1624. https://doi.org/10.3390/clinpract14040130.2039-7283 (online)10.3390/clinpract14040130http://hdl.handle.net/2263/98612DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT : The data that support the findings of this study are openly available in Figshare at http://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.13681924 (accessed on 18 August 2024).BACKGROUND : This study aimed to examine whether individuals with chronic tinnitus report more positive experiences following internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). METHODS : A mixed-methods design was used, nested in clinical trials evaluating internet interventions for tinnitus. Participants (n = 164) completed online questionnaires (both structured and open-ended) providing demographic information as well as health variables (e.g., tinnitus distress, anxiety, depression, insomnia). An open-ended question listing positive effects or outcomes related to having tinnitus was also included. Responses to the open-ended questions were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. RESULTS : Of the 164 eligible participants, 32.3% (n = 53) provided at least 1 positive experience both at pre- and post-intervention, with 9.1% (n = 19) providing positive experiences only at pre-intervention, 49 (29.9%) providing positive experiences only at post-intervention, and 28.7% (n = 47) of the participants did not provide any positive experiences on either measurement occasion. Significantly more positive experiences were reported following the intervention in the overall sample (p < 0.0001, paired sample t-test). In addition, participants who reported positive experiences in both pre- and post-intervention also reported more positive experiences following intervention (p = 0.008, paired sample t-test). CONCLUSIONS : Internet-based CBT can help individuals with tinnitus to think more positively by changing unhelpful thought patterns. Open-ended questions can supplement structured questionnaires to measure treatment outcomes.en© 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)TinnitusChronic tinnitusPositive experiencesOutcome measureSDG-03: Good health and well-beingArticle