Table 1.
Table of Outcome Domain Categories and Tinnitus-Related Outcome Domains Informed by the Evidence Collected From the Literature.
| Category | Tinnitus-related outcome domain | Description of the concept |
|---|---|---|
| Behavior | Behavior | A difference in the way somebody behaves or acts, particularly in response to a particular event or situation |
| Body structures and functions | Brain structure | Looking at different parts of the brain |
| Fat metabolism | An important process for creating energy in the body and for building new cells | |
| Gene expression | The way in which particular genes generate proteins and other complex molecules that have an impact on health or disease | |
| Neural activity | Activity of cells in the brain | |
| Neuroendocrine hormones | Specific hormones that can affect physical and mental states | |
| Oxidative stress | An imbalance between harmful chemicals and the ability of the body to counteract or “detoxify” their harmful effects | |
| Cognition (thought processes) | Ability to ignore | Ability to continue as normal as if tinnitus were not there |
| Concentration | Ability to keep your attention focused | |
| Confusion | Being unable to think clearly, either in general or specifically associated with your tinnitus | |
| Tinnitus-related thoughts | Thoughts about tinnitus | |
| Coping and acceptance | Acceptance of tinnitus | Recognizing that tinnitus is a part of your life without having a negative reaction to it |
| Coping | Ability to deal with or handle tinnitus (includes the use of techniques) | |
| Effects of tinnitus on hearing | Conversations | Effect of tinnitus (not hearing loss) on ability to listen, understand, and take part in conversations |
| Listening | Effect of tinnitus on ability to understand somebody talking (e.g., TV and radio) | |
| Emotions | Anger | Feelings of aggression, either in general or specifically associated with your tinnitus |
| Annoyance | Noticing the sound of tinnitus is there and it feels like a nuisance | |
| Anxiety | Feeling of unease, either in general or specifically associated with your tinnitus | |
| Depressive symptoms | Feelings of low mood, hopelessness, or lack of interest, either in general or specifically associated with your tinnitus | |
| Distress from bodily sensations | How physical feelings or pain cause emotional distress | |
| Fear | Afraid tinnitus will have an impact on physical and mental health, now and in the future, or will become worse | |
| Helplessness (lack of control) | Feeling despair about being unable to control or manage tinnitus | |
| Irritable | Having a tendency to easily feel tense, on edge or agitated because of your tinnitus | |
| Joyful | General ability to feel pleasure and happiness | |
| Mood | General sense of well-being, ranging from feeling very low or negative to very positive | |
| Nervous | Feeling agitated, uneasy, or apprehensive about or because of your tinnitus | |
| Upset | Feeling unhappy or disappointed because of your tinnitus | |
| Worries/concerns | To feel troubled and uncertain, either in general or specifically associated with your tinnitus | |
| Factors related to the treatment being tested | Adverse reaction | Any bad or unexpected thing that happens during the time a treatment is being tested and are thought to be a result of that treatment being tested |
| Pharmacokinetics | The way the body absorbs, distributes, and gets rid of a drug | |
| Treatment satisfaction | How the treatment meets your expectations or how pleased you are after receiving the treatment | |
| Withdrawal from treatment in the clinical trial | How many people stopped using the treatment during the trial | |
| Health-related quality of life | Impact on individual activities | Effect of tinnitus on your choice to engage in your individual interests or tasks (e.g., driving, reading, listening to music, or watching TV). Not group activities |
| Impact on relationships | Effect of tinnitus on relationships with family and friends | |
| Impact on social life | Effect of tinnitus on the ability to take part fully in a group social gathering (e.g., at a restaurant, at the park, or at a party) | |
| Impact on work | Effect of tinnitus on your ability to carry out work tasks or job roles | |
| Sexual difficulties | Difficulty experienced by an individual or a couple during any stage of sexual activity | |
| Negative thoughts | Catastrophizing | An exaggerated negative way of thinking about tinnitus or tinnitus-related symptoms |
| Irrational beliefs | Illogical conclusions or beliefs about your tinnitus | |
| Negative thoughts/beliefs | Thinking tinnitus will affect you in a negative way (e.g., thinking that tinnitus is never going to get better or that it would be dreadful if these noises never went away) | |
| Suicidal thoughts | Thoughts about committing suicide | |
| Perceptions of the tinnitus sound | Tinnitus awareness | Noticing the sound of tinnitus is there |
| Tinnitus intrusiveness | Noticing the sound of tinnitus is there and it is invading your life or your personal space | |
| Tinnitus location | Where the tinnitus sound is heard (e.g., left ear, right ear, both ears, or in the head) | |
| Tinnitus loudness | How loud your tinnitus sounds | |
| Tinnitus pitch | Whether your tinnitus has a note-like quality, for example, high pitch like whistling or low pitch like humming | |
| Tinnitus quality | What type of sound is heard (e.g., hissing, buzzing, ringing, whistling, etc.) and whether it is constant or fluctuating (e.g., stable or wobbling) | |
| Tinnitus unpleasantness | Tinnitus making you feel disagreeable or uncomfortable | |
| Physical health | Ability to relax | Ability to release physical and mental tension |
| Active myofascial trigger points | A particular area in a muscle that is excessively sensitive to pressure | |
| Bodily complaints | Headaches, nausea, ear pressure, or muscle tension associated with tinnitus | |
| Difficulties getting to sleep | Problems in getting to sleep or problems in getting back to sleep after waking up at night | |
| Feeling tired | Lacking energy | |
| Ill health | Generally feeling unwell | |
| Loss of appetite | Loss of natural desire to eat | |
| Neck mobility | Ability to move the neck freely and easily | |
| Neck pain | Unpleasant physical sensation in the neck | |
| Pain | A feeling of noticeable discomfort in a particular part of the body, associated with tinnitus | |
| Quality of sleep | Getting the right amount of undisturbed sleep for you that leaves you feeling refreshed and rested | |
| State of mind | Change in sense of self | A change in the way you see yourself (e.g., feeling insecure or lacking in confidence) |
| Loss of peace | Loss of sense of calm | |
| Sense of control | Whether or not you feel you have a choice in how to manage the impact of tinnitus and feelings caused by tinnitus | |
| Support and knowledge | Need for knowledge | Wanting to gain knowledge and understanding about the facts related to tinnitus |
| Lack of perceived support “nobody understanding experience” | Feeling a lack of support from others due to their limited awareness and understanding of tinnitus (e.g., friends, family, health-care worker, work colleagues) | |
| Seeking support | Motivation to talk about tinnitus with others, seeking advice, and support (e.g., friends and family, health-care worker, support group) | |
| Support from family, friends, or health-care workers | Feeling that friends, family, or health-care workers are there for you. |
Note. Descriptions of each concept were coproduced with people with lived experience of tinnitus in order to ensure that the explanation and meaning is accessible to a range of interested parties, irrespective of their technical expertise in tinnitus health care.