Tinnitus, hyperacusis and somatic complaints in a diverse Norwegian clinical population: implications for assessment and rehabilitation

OBJECTIVES: Patients with tinnitus often have somatic complaints, a reality that is understudied in the broader literature on tinnitus. This study aims to characterize tinnitus patients with somatic complaints, investigate associations between somatic complaints and tinnitus, hyperacusis, and symptoms of anxiety and depression, and to compare patient profiles across genders and healthcare services.

Clinicians assessing tinnitus patients should routinely screen for hyperacusis and somatic complaints, as their co-occurrence in this diverse clinical population suggests a need for integrated, multi-dimensional rehabilitation planning.

Understanding how tinnitus, hyperacusis, and somatic symptoms cluster together in diverse clinical populations can improve the completeness of audiological assessments and guide more holistic rehabilitation protocols.

1. 01Study characterizes co-occurrence of tinnitus, hyperacusis, and somatic complaints in a Norwegian clinical sample.
2. 02Diverse patient population increases generalizability across demographic groups.
3. 03Findings have direct implications for how clinicians assess patients presenting with multiple conditions.
4. 04Results suggest rehabilitation programs may need to address somatic symptoms alongside auditory complaints.
5. 05Highlights the importance of multi-dimensional intake screening in audiology and hearing healthcare.

PMID

42402048

DOI

10.1080/07853890.2026.2696613.

Journal

Annals of Medicine

Publication type

research_article

Evidence level

4

Population

Diverse clinical patients presenting with tinnitus, hyperacusis, and/or somatic complaints in Norway

Intervention

Characterization of co-occurring tinnitus, hyperacusis, and somatic complaints