Tinnitus Handicap Inventory

Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) används vid i kliniska sammanhang för att få ett mått på tinnitus inverkan på patientens dagliga liv (Newman, Jacobson, & Spitzer). Mätinstrumentet har en hög intern konsistens med ett Cronbach´s alpha på 0.93 (Baguley, et al., 2000) och en hög test-retest reliabilitet på r=0.92 (Newman, Sandridge, & Jacobson, 1998). THI består av 25 frågor om tinnitusrelaterade problem och besvär som ska besvaras på en tregradig skala där svarsalternativen är ”ja” (4 poäng), ”ibland” (2 poäng) och ”nej” (0 poäng). Poängen på THI kan variera mellan 0 och 100.

THI har tre delskalor som är tänkte att mäta emotionella, funktionella, katastrofierande aspekter av tinnitusbesvären, men två senare faktoranalyser har visat att uppdelningen i dessa delskalor saknar tydligt stöd och rekommenderar att endast den totala summan används (Zachariae et al., 2000 ; Baguley & Andersson, 2003).

Preliminära utländska normer finns, men är egenligen endast en uppdelning i kvartiler av ett kliniskt blandat sample och inte validerade mot något yttre kriterier (Newman et. al., 1998). Svensk översättning har gjorts av Viktor Kaldo (opubl.).

25

0=nej, 2=ibland, 4=ja

Emotionell, funktionell, katastrofierande

5 minuter

r = (0.92)

α = 0.93

saknas

0-16: Inget handikapp
18-36: Milt handikapp
38-46: Medelsvårt handikapp

OBJECTIVE: To develop a self-report tinnitus handicap measure that is brief, easy to administer and interpret, broad in scope, and psychometrically robust. DESIGN: A standardization study of a self-report tinnitus handicap measure was conducted to determine its internal consistency reliability and convergent and construct validity. SETTING: Audiology clinics in tertiary care centers in two sites. PARTICIPANTS: In the first investigation, 84 patients reporting tinnitus as their primary complaint or secondary to hearing loss completed the 45-item alpha version of the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI). In the second investigation, 66 subjects also reporting tinnitus completed the 25-item beta version. OUTCOME MEASURES: Convergent validity was assessed using another measure of perceived tinnitus handicap (Tinnitus Handicap Questionnaire). Construct validity was assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory, Modified Somatic Perception Questionnaire, symptom rating scales (annoyance, sleep disruption, depression, and concentration), and perceived tinnitus pitch and loudness judgments. RESULTS: From the alpha version of the THI, we derived a 25-item beta version with the items grouped into functional, emotional, and catastrophic subscales. The total scale yielded excellent internal consistency reliability (Cronbach’s alpha = .93). No significant age or gender effects were seen. Weak correlations were observed between the THI and the Beck Depression Inventory, Modified Somatic Perception Questionnaire, and pitch and loudness judgments. Significant correlations were found between the THI and the symptom rating scales. CONCLUSION: The THI is a self-report measure that can be used in a busy clinical practice to quantify the impact of tinnitus on daily living.

Baguley, D.M. and G. Andersson (2003), Factor Analysis of the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory. Am J Audiol., 12: p. 31-34.

Baguley, D.M., Rachel, L., Humphriss, M., Catriona, A. & Hodgson, B.A. (2000). Convergent validity of the tinnitus handicap inventory and the tinnitus questionnaire. The Journal of Laryngology & Otology, 114, 840-843.
Newman, C.W., G.P. Jacobson, and J.B. Spitzer (1996). Development of the tinnitus handicap inventory. Archives of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery. 122: p. 143-148.

Newman, C.W., S.A. Sandridge, and G. Jacobson. (1998). Psychometric adequacy of the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) for evaluating treatment outcome. J Am Acad Audiol, 9: p. 153-160.

Zacharie, R., Mirz, F., Johansen, L. V., Andersen, S. E., Bjerring, P., & Pedersen, C. B. (2000). Reliability and validity of a Danish adaption of the tinnitus handicap inventory. Scandinavian Audiology, 29, 37-43.