Exploring the Impact of Tinnitus on Work Productivity

Over 50 million people in the United States experience tinnitus; nearly half of those individuals struggle with it, and some even perceive it as debilitating (American Tinnitus Association, 2024). Despite these staggering statistics, there has been limited research investigating the impact of tinnitus on workplace productivity. Evidence-based interventions such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) have been shown to reduce tinnitus-related distress; however, there is no research supporting their effectiveness on workplace functioning.

Recently, Beukes et al. (2026) completed a study to determine the effectiveness of internet-based CBT on post-treatment work productivity. There were 449 participants enrolled in the online CBT clinical trials. Patients were adults (>18), had access to a computer, and had tinnitus for more than three months with at least perceived mild severity. Exclusion criteria include significant depression, other psychiatric condition(s), pulsatile or objective tinnitus, or undergoing other tinnitus therapies. Subjects were asked to complete questionnaires on workplace productivity before and after the interventions.

Preliminary findings indicated that after intervention, significantly fewer participants reported working reduced hours at both post-intervention and follow-up compared to pre-intervention. Tinnitus-related distress and comorbidities, such as anxiety, depression, and quality of life, also showed significant improvements at post-intervention when compared to baseline scores.

References

101 Basics | American Tinnitus Association. (2024, January 29). American Tinnitus Association.

‌Beukes, E., Sharpe, J. A., Andersson, G., & Manchaiah, V. (2026). Exploring the impact of tinnitus on work productivity. Brain Sciences, 16(2), 150.