Adults' perceptions of their tinnitus and a tinnitus information service

The South Australian Government funds Tinnitus SA to provide advice and information to South Australians to assist in their understanding of tinnitus and their decision making about tinnitus-related service provision. This qualitative study aimed to identify key motivations for adults seeking tinnitus advice, determine how those services are perceived, and provide insight into the helpseeking behaviour of those who experience tinnitus. Participants in this study were recruited from Tinnitus SA's attendance lists for their community information sessions held in 2008 and 2009. Of the 60 people contacted, 13 adults agreed to particpate in the semistructured interviews. Interviews, lasting approximately 45 minutes focused on interviewees' perceptions of their tinnitus prior to attending the Tinnitus SA information session, their response to the information session itself, and their perceptions and actions following the information session. Grounded theory was used as the guiding methodology for analysis of the transcribed interview data. The themes that emerged during analysis of the interviews fell into two broad descriptive categories: Empowerment through information and education; and If you can't cure me I'll cope. Together these categories led to the overarching theme of participants' responses: 'I don't need help, but I'd like more information'. Further analysis revealed that the Tinnitus SA community sessions were the primary source of information for the majority of these participants and there was a high level of satisfaction with these sessions by contrast to other information sources.