Effects of an Eight Week MBCT course for Tinnitus Management
Research type
Research Study
Full title
What are the effects of an eight week Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy course for those learning to manage chronic tinnitus?
IRAS ID
190130
Contact name
Gemma Griffith
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Bangor University
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Tinnitus is a sound detected in our internal hearing system, with no external source. Tinnitus is experienced by about 10% of the population. For up to 1% of adults it may affect quality of life (British Tinnitus Association). Management of tinnitus traditionally focuses on strategies that help distract from tinnitus. As a process, this has limitations: at some point we are bound to become aware of this internal presence of sound. It may be beneficial to introduce approaches that help encourage acceptance and reduced reaction to tinnitus to more fully support the habituation process.
A small number of quantitative studies have begun to emerge, exploring the potential for Mindfulness to be effective as an approach supportive of tinnitus management. Results are encouraging: negative effects, including annoyance are reduced (Gans, O'Sullivan, & Bircheff, 2013). Mindfulness is fundamentally, present moment awareness without judgement. Mindfulness practices support development of beneficial attitudes including acceptance, letting go, and patience. Mindfulness based cognitive therapy, (MBCT) teaches mindful awareness through meditation practice, over an eight week course.
As yet there are no qualitative studies available to explain the effects of Mindfulness practice for tinnitus patients. This study aims to explore, through qualitative research, an understanding of the experiential processes and effects of mindfulness from the tinnitus patients’ viewpoint: looking at how mindfulness is experienced and what the perceived benefits are.
Volunteer participants will be screened for eligibility. Those eligible will be asked to attend an eight week MBCT course (eight consecutive weeks for 2 hours and one half days practice and a 45 minute daily practice). Included in this eight week course will be an educational section providing information about tinnitus specifically.
At the end of the course, participants will be asked to attend an interview (semi-structured) Interviews will be recorded and later transcribed and analysed.REC name
South West - Cornwall & Plymouth Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/SW/0324
Date of REC Opinion
15 Dec 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion