Internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy for tinnitus in Spanish: a global feasibility trial.
Eldré W Beukes, Maria F Munzo, Gerhard Andersson and 1 others
PMID 34553654WHAT IT FOUND
Spanish-speaking adults with tinnitus who used an 8-week internet CBT program reported less tinnitus distress, anxiety and depression, but only 22 completed post-program outcome measures and there was no control group, so it cannot show the program caused improvement.
Key findings
0132 Spanish-speaking adults were included in an 8-week internet CBT program for tinnitus, but outcome measures were completed by 22 participants post-intervention and 16 participants at follow-up.
02Tinnitus distress on the Tinnitus Functional Index improved at post-intervention and 2-month follow-up, and 14 of 32 participants showed clinically significant change at both time points when missing answers were estimated.
03Participants rated the program 51 out of 75 on the satisfaction questionnaire, and no adverse effects were reported.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they found
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What it does not show
The study had no control group, so the improvements cannot be separated from time, expectation, or other factors. It was a small feasibility trial intended to prepare for a larger randomized controlled trial, not to test efficacy. Outcome measures were completed by only 22 participants at post-intervention and 16 at follow-up, and the authors note that those who completed them may have been more motivated or benefited more. Recruitment was difficult and took place during the early COVID-19 pandemic, with only 46 people screened and 32 participants included. Participants were Spanish speakers from different countries and healthcare systems, so results may not apply to a single local clinic. Engagement was variable, with an average of 13 of 22 modules opened, so many participants did not receive the full program. The authors state that placebo effects may have elevated the findings.
Declared interests
The authors declare no relevant conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that Spanish internet CBT is proven to reduce tinnitus. The study had no control group, only 32 participants were included, outcome measures were completed by 22 participants at post-intervention and 16 at follow-up, and the authors state the results were not intended to evaluate efficacy.