VEDOMÉ STRATEGIE ZVLÁDÁNÍ TINNITU

Tinnitus is a symptom, which occurs increasingly nowadays, mostly because of omnipresent noise and accelerating pace of live. The latest studies have shown that tinnitus adaptation and treatment depend especially on psychological and psychophysiological mechanisms. The aim of this study was to describe a subjective experience and ways of coping with tinnitus. Its theoretical part is focused on factors and processes influencing the pathogenesis of tinnitus, such as stress and habituation, illness representations, psychosocial consequences of tinnitus, coping strategies and tinnitus treatment. For the research of this study was chosen qualitative approach, a case study of a group. 25 patients with subjective tinnitus participated in semi-structured interview. The results describe passive, effective and maladaptive coping strategies. They confirm an impact of stress on cause and consequences of tinnitus, and the importance of psychological problems in tinnitus patients. The results also describe differences in illness representations and coping with tinnitus between men and women. These findings highlight the severity of psychological problems associated with tinnitus and the need for comprehensive treatment.