To explore how anxiety, sleep disturbances, and depression interact to influence tinnitus severity.
Key Findings:
Tinnitus severity positively correlated with SRSS, SDS, and SAS scores (all P < 0.05).
Age, sleep quality, and anxiety identified as independent predictors of increased THI scores.
Anxiety partially mediated the relationship between sleep disturbances and THI (mediation effect: 31.7%) and fully mediated the relationship between depression and THI.
Mediating effect of anxiety was more pronounced in middle-aged and elderly individuals, females, and patients with left-sided tinnitus.
Interpretation:
Anxiety is a central mediating mechanism linking sleep disturbances and depressive symptoms to tinnitus severity.
Limitations:
Conclusion:
The findings highlight the critical role of anxiety in the relationship between psychological factors and tinnitus distress.
