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ORIGINAL ARTICLE
THE LIVED EXPERIENCE OF TINNITUS IN UK MILITARY VETERANS: A QUALITATIVE EXPLORATION
1
Combat Stress, Leatherhead, United Kingdom
2
King’s Centre for Military Mental Health, Kings College London, United Kingdom
A - Research concept and design; B - Collection and/or assembly of data; C - Data analysis and interpretation; D - Writing the article; E - Critical revision of the article; F - Final approval of article;
Submission date: 2025-07-31
Final revision date: 2025-09-26
Acceptance date: 2025-10-21
Online publication date: 2025-12-05
Publication date: 2025-12-05
Corresponding author
J Hear Sci 2025;15(3):32-44
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Introduction:
Tinnitus is more prevalent in military veterans compared to the general population and can profoundly impact quality of life, including physical and mental health. Subjective tinnitus is the perception of hearing sound without any external noise corresponding to that sound. Investigating veterans’ lived experience of tinnitus can provide valuable insights for developing tailored interventions and healthcare strategies. Thus, our study explores the lived experience of UK veterans who have experienced tinnitus for at least 3 months.
Material and methods:
There were 98 veterans who responded to the qualitative online survey. To identify key themes the responses were analysed through reflexive thematic analysis.
Results:
Veterans reported that they experienced communication difficulties, social isolation, and disruptions to their daily routine. Four superordinate themes reflecting participants’ experiences were developed: (ST1) Impact on the self, mind, and body; (ST2) Influence on the social self; (ST3) Disrupted daily functioning; and (ST4) Coping with tinnitus. The results highlight how tinnitus has a profound impact on veterans’ wellbeing, social interactions, and daily functioning. While coping strategies were limited for many veterans, some participants identified helpful management strategies such as sound therapy.
Conclusions:
Findings from this study highlight the need for support and intervention strategies for tinnitus management in veterans.
Tinnitus is more prevalent in military veterans compared to the general population and can profoundly impact quality of life, including physical and mental health. Subjective tinnitus is the perception of hearing sound without any external noise corresponding to that sound. Investigating veterans’ lived experience of tinnitus can provide valuable insights for developing tailored interventions and healthcare strategies. Thus, our study explores the lived experience of UK veterans who have experienced tinnitus for at least 3 months.
Material and methods:
There were 98 veterans who responded to the qualitative online survey. To identify key themes the responses were analysed through reflexive thematic analysis.
Results:
Veterans reported that they experienced communication difficulties, social isolation, and disruptions to their daily routine. Four superordinate themes reflecting participants’ experiences were developed: (ST1) Impact on the self, mind, and body; (ST2) Influence on the social self; (ST3) Disrupted daily functioning; and (ST4) Coping with tinnitus. The results highlight how tinnitus has a profound impact on veterans’ wellbeing, social interactions, and daily functioning. While coping strategies were limited for many veterans, some participants identified helpful management strategies such as sound therapy.
Conclusions:
Findings from this study highlight the need for support and intervention strategies for tinnitus management in veterans.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Gratitude is extended to the veterans who participated in this study for their contributions.
FUNDING
This study was funded by The Watson Trust.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The authors declare they have no competing interests.
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