GROUP COGNITIVE THERAPY FOR MEDICAL PATIENTS - AN APPLICATION TO TINNITUS

Patients distressed by tinnitus were randomly allocated to one of five treatments: aural masker, placebo masker, waiting list, group cognitive therapy (GCT), or GCT plus masker. At followup, only patients receiving GCT (with or without a masker) were significantly improved over baseline on a tinnitus distress questionnaire. Irrational beliefs about tinnitus were modified in the baseline period only in patients receiving an explanatory booklet about cognitive therapy. These beliefs continued to change from baseline to followup only in GCT Measures of general affective state changed little and not to a significantly greater extent in GCT than in other conditions. Overall results indicate a specific effect of GCT on tinnitus distress, not observed in alternative treatments.