{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,9]],"date-time":"2025-10-09T19:12:16Z","timestamp":1760037136488,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":26,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,9]],"date-time":"2025-10-09T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1759968000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Audiology Research"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate retrospectively self-reported changes in tinnitus severity and distress associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccination using validated self-report instruments. It further explored patient-reported onset of tinnitus following vaccination, gender differences in symptom severity, and associations with psychological distress. Method: A cross-sectional online survey was completed by 189 adults between December 2023 and April 2024. Participants retrospectively self-reported tinnitus onset and severity before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic using the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) and the Tinnitus Reaction Questionnaire (TRQ). Additional items assessed COVID-19 vaccination history, infection status, and adverse vaccine reactions. Repeated measures ANOVAs and chi-square tests were used to examine retrospectively reported longitudinal changes and group differences. Results: Mean THI scores increased significantly over time\u2014before (M = 9.57, SD = 16.00), during (M = 29.97, SD = 32.30), and currently (M = 36.92, SD = 28.04)\u2014with large effect sizes across functional, emotional, and catastrophic subscales (p &lt; 0.001). TRQ scores also were reported to rise from before (M = 7.86, SD = 15.29) to during (M = 26.38, SD = 29.58) and remained elevated at the current time (M = 29.79, SD = 24.00), p &lt; 0.001. Approximately 25.9% and 27.0% of respondents reported new or worsened tinnitus after the first and second vaccine doses, respectively. No significant gender differences in symptom severity were observed. TRQ severity classification revealed a marked shift, with moderate or greater distress increasing from 5.8% (before) to 35.6% (current). Conclusions: Retrospective self-reports indicated that tinnitus burden significantly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic and remained elevated at the time of survey completion. A notable proportion of individuals reported new-onset tinnitus following vaccination, though causality cannot be inferred. These findings highlight the need for continued monitoring and comprehensive care addressing both audiological and psychological components of tinnitus.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/audiolres15050132","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,9]],"date-time":"2025-10-09T13:19:26Z","timestamp":1760015966000},"page":"132","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Trajectory of Tinnitus Distress Across the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Self-Reported Symptoms"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0395-6959","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Anusha","family":"Yellamsetty","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Audiology, San Jos\u00e9 State University, San Jos\u00e9, CA 95192, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Mika","family":"Shin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Audiology, San Jos\u00e9 State University, San Jos\u00e9, CA 95192, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,9]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"510","DOI":"10.1056\/NEJMp2008017","article-title":"Mental health and the COVID-19 pandemic","volume":"383","author":"Pfefferbaum","year":"2020","journal-title":"N. 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Head Neck Surg."}],"container-title":["Audiology Research"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2039-4349\/15\/5\/132\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,9]],"date-time":"2025-10-09T18:50:57Z","timestamp":1760035857000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2039-4349\/15\/5\/132"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,9]]},"references-count":26,"journal-issue":{"issue":"5","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,10]]}},"alternative-id":["audiolres15050132"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/audiolres15050132","relation":{},"ISSN":["2039-4349"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2039-4349","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,9]]}}}