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Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI)
Availability
Please visit this website for more information about this instrument: Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI)
Classification
Supplemental: Sport-Related Concussion (SRC) Subacute (after 72 hours to 3 months) and Persistent/Chronic (3 months and greater post concussion), and Acute Hospitalized, Concussion/Mild TBI, Epidemiology, Moderate/Severe TBI: Rehabilitation Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
Short Description of Instrument
The Tinnitus Handcap Inventory is a self-report questionnaire that is a standardized and validated instrument that measures severity of tinnitus. This 25 item questionnaire is divided into three subgroups: Functional (11 questions); Emotional (9 questions); and Catastrophic (5 questions).
 
Sport-Related Concussion Specific: May be used when tinnitus reported.
 
Advantages: The THI showed significant correlations with the symptom rating scales, depression, and anxiety and can be used in a busy clinical practice to quantify the impact of tinnitus on daily living. (Newman et al., 1996; Kleinst?uber et al., 2015). The measurement is  brief, has a simple response format, and is easy to score and interpret (Newman et al. 1996). THI showed internal consistency (Kleinst?uber et al., 2015).
 
Limitations: Future research is needed to replicate this result in different tinnitus populations (Kleinst?uber et al., 2015).
Scoring
Scoring: Yes = 4; Sometimes = 2; No = 0
Total Score:
Grade 1: 0 – 16 Slight: Only heard in quiet environments; No interference with sleep or daily activities.
Grade 2: 18 – 36 Mild: Easily masked by environmental sounds and easily forgotten with activities: May occasionally interfere with sleep, but not dialy activities
Grade 3: 38 – 56 Moderate: Noticed in presence of background noise, although daily activities can still be performed
Grade 4: 58 – 76 Severe: Almost always heard, rarely if ever, masked; Leads to disturbed sleep patterns and can interfere with daily activities; Quiet activities adversely affected.
Grade 5: 78 – 100 Catastrophic: Always heard, disturbed sleep patterns, difficulty with any activity.
References
Newman CW, Jacobson GP, Spitzer JB. Development of the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 1996;122(2):143-148.
 
Kleinst?uber M, Frank I, Weise C. A confirmatory factor analytic validation of the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory. J Psychosom Res. 2015;78(3):277-284
 
Newman CW, Sandridge SA, Bolek L. Development and psychometric adequacy of the screening version of the tinnitus handicap inventory. Otol Neurotol. 2008;29(3):276-281.
 
Newman CW, Sandridge SA, Jacobson GP. Psychometric adequacy of the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) for evaluating treatment outcome. J Am Acad Audiol. 1998;9(2):153-160.
 
Surr RK, Kolb JA, Cord MT, Garrus NP. Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) as a hearing aid outcome measure. J Am Acad Audiol. 1999;10(9):489-495.

 

Document last updated March 2018