{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,13]],"date-time":"2026-07-13T22:10:33Z","timestamp":1783980633078,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":32,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,29]],"date-time":"2026-01-29T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1769644800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"National Institute on Deafness and Communication Disorders (NIDCD) of the National Institute of Health","award":["R21DC017214"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["R21DC017214"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Brain Sciences"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: Tinnitus affects various aspects of health, yet its impact on occupational functioning remains less well explored. This study investigated the impact of tinnitus on work productivity, the role of comorbidities of anxiety, depression, and quality of life, and explored whether an evidence-based intervention may potentially influence workplace functioning. Methods: The study used cross-sectional and longitudinal data and employed mixed methods design to enable comparing work productivity before and after undertaking ICBT for tinnitus. Data were collected from 449 participants (64% employed; mean age of 54.4 years) who were seeking to enroll in an internet-based psychological intervention. Of these, 200 also completed an internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy intervention (ICBT). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, analysis of variance, qualitative content analysis and comparisons made between those whose work was unaffected due to tinnitus and those who worked less. Results: Pre-intervention, 81% reported no change in work patterns. Because of tinnitus 11% worked fewer hours, 7% had stopped working, and 1% received disability allowance. Participants were significantly less effective in their work capacity prior to undertaking the intervention compared to post-intervention and at follow-up; for the overall sample and post-intervention improvements were observed in tinnitus distress, anxiety, depression, and insomnia. There was significant time difference between group interactions for tinnitus, anxiety and insomnia but not for depression and quality of life when comparing those working and not working. Qualitative findings highlighted challenges related to attention, fatigue, and communication, as well as coping strategies and role modifications. Conclusions: Further studies are required to build on this exploratory research. The present findings underscore the need for workplace policies recognizing tinnitus as a potential disability and providing reasonable accommodation and options to access tinnitus interventions. Clinical interventions should also consider how to improve workplace functioning in individuals with bothersome tinnitus. Future research should explore ways to address cognitive load and enhance productivity.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/brainsci16020150","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,29]],"date-time":"2026-01-29T09:12:01Z","timestamp":1769677921000},"page":"150","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Exploring the Impact of Tinnitus on Work Productivity"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9434-9160","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Eldre","family":"Beukes","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre for Better Living, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge CB1 1TP, UK"},{"name":"Virtual Hearing Lab, Collaborative Initiative Between the University of Colorado and the University of Pretoria, Aurora, CO 80045, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1670-2205","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jennine A.","family":"Sharpe","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre for Better Living, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge CB1 1TP, UK"},{"name":"Department of Material Sciences and Metallurgy, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0FS, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4753-6745","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Gerhard","family":"Andersson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Link\u00f6ping University, SE-581 83 Link\u00f6ping, Sweden"},{"name":"Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden"},{"name":"Department of Health, Education and Technology, Lule\u00e5 University of Technology, SE-971 87 Lule\u00e5, Sweden"},{"name":"HEI-Lab: Digital Human-Environment Interaction Labs, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Lus\u00f3fona University, 1749-024 Lisbon, Portugal"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1254-8407","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Vinaya","family":"Manchaiah","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Virtual Hearing Lab, Collaborative Initiative Between the University of Colorado and the University of Pretoria, Aurora, CO 80045, USA"},{"name":"Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA"},{"name":"UCHealth Hearing and Balance, University of Colorado Hospital, Aurora, CO 80045, USA"},{"name":"Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa"},{"name":"Department of Speech and Hearing, School of Allied Health Sciences, Manipal University, Manipal 576104, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,29]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"106989","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ecolecon.2021.106989","article-title":"Worker wellbeing and productivity in advanced economies: Re-examining the link","volume":"184","author":"Isham","year":"2021","journal-title":"Ecol. 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