[Analysis of items on the short forms of the tinnitus questionnaire: Mini-TQ-12 and Mini-TQ-15]. / Itemanalyse der Kurzformen des Tinnitusfragebogens: Mini-TF-12 und Mini-TF-15.

BACKGROUND: A brief but reliable measurement of tinnitus-related distress is crucial for understanding and treatment options for this often very limiting symptom. Several self-report questionnaires are used in German-speaking countries and several short versions exist for the German translation of the Tinnitus Questionnaire (TQ). OBJECTIVE: In the present work, the frequently used Mini-TQ-12 questionnaire and the newly developed Mini-TQ-15 questionnaire will be investigated with regard to reliability, item difficulty, sensitivity (discriminatory power), and predictive power of the items in order to facilitate a decision for one or the other questionnaire in different examination contexts. METHODS: Data from 1409 patients with chronic tinnitus who completed the German 52-item version of the TQ and additional psychological tests (ADS­L, BSF, PHQ, ACSA and SWOP) at the Tinnitus Centre of the Charité Universitaetsmedizin Berlin, Germany, were retrospectively analyzed. We performed external validation of items from different versions of the TQ (original version, Mini-TQ-12, and Mini-TQ-15). RESULTS: The items of the Mini-TQ-12 and the Mini-TQ-15 predicted specifically the total score. Both short questionnaires are of comparable quality in terms of reliability and item construction (difficulty, discriminatory power). CONCLUSION: Both questionnaires have a very good item quality and are clinically more efficient to use than the long-form TQ. If a similarity of the factor structure to the original questionnaire is required for research questions, the use of the Mini-TQ-15 is recommended.

Construct validity of the Mini-TQ-15 for a rapid and differentiated assessment of tinnitus-related distress.

OBJECTIVE: Different domains of tinnitus-related distress can be assessed by self-report questionnaires, such as the original 52-item version of the Tinnitus Questionnaire (TQ). Short forms of the TQ allow a more rapid assessment. For this purpose, a new 15-item short form (Mini-TQ-15) has been previously developed. In the present retrospective cohort study, we aimed to compare construct validity of the Mini-TQ-15 and the original TQ. METHODS: Data of 7112 patients with chronic tinnitus that filled out the German 52-item version of the TQ at the Tinnitus Center at Charité University Hospital Berlin, Germany were retrospectively analyzed. 1409 of the 7112 patients completed additional psychological tests (ADS-L, BSF, PHQ, ACSA, SWOP) before starting therapy. Data of these 1409 patients with higher tinnitus distress on average were included in the present study. We compared convergent and discriminant validity of the TQ and the Mini-TQ-15 by calculating Spearman's rank correlation between their different factors and the results of further self-report questionnaires. RESULTS: The factor emotional and cognitive distress of the original TQ and of the Mini-TQ-15 showed specific high correlations with depression scales (correlation coefficients between 0.50 and 0.60) and considerably lower correlations with the other scales. CONCLUSION: Results of the present study indicate good convergent and discriminant validity of the Mini-TQ-15 and of the original TQ. The three factorial Mini-TQ-15 represents a promising short version with good construct validity for a rapid and differentiated assessment of tinnitus-related distress.

Maintaining the legacy and moving forward: The new tinnitus questionnaire short form version 2.

OBJECTIVE: The original 52-item version of the Tinnitus Questionnaire (TQ) is a widely applied self-report instrument to measure tinnitus-related distress. One objective of the current study was the validation of the reported five-factor structure of the German TQ in a new, large sample of patients with chronic tinnitus. Since former studies have yielded conflicting results for the factor structure of the 12-item short version (Mini-TQ), analysis of its factor structure and the generation of a new short version were further study aims. METHODS: Data of 7112 subsequent patients with chronic tinnitus that filled out the German 52-item version of the TQ at the Tinnitus Center at Charité University Hospital Berlin, Germany, were included in the study. Statistical analyses included exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). RESULTS: CFA showed reasonably acceptable fit indices for a five-factor model for the 52-item version of the TQ, at least for RMSEA, one of the three fit indices (RMSEA = 0.059; CFI = 0.871; TLI = 0.861). Factors were called emotional distress, auditory perceptual difficulties, intrusiveness, sleep disturbances, and coping. Another CFA supports a three-factor model of the newly generated 15-item short version (RMSEA = 0.060; CFI = 0.942; TLI = 0.931) with the factors emotional distress, auditory perceptual difficulties, and intrusiveness. CONCLUSION: Validation of the German 52-item version of the TQ in a large, new sample of patients with chronic tinnitus supports the previously reported five-factor structure with slight differences concerning the identified factors. The new three-factorial 15-item short version allows a more rapid and economical assessment of tinnitus-related distress.