Virtual Reality for Tinnitus Education: Inspiring Awareness and Proactive Behavioral Changes

Tinnitus is a prevalent symptom in otorhinolaryngology affecting a substantial portion of the population. Factors contributing to tinnitus include acoustic stress, sensory overload, and neurological and psychological disturbances. Although associated comorbidities can be treated, tinnitus lacks a definitive cure. Consequently, preventive measures and awareness about its consequences are crucial. Virtual Reality (VR) emerges as a potential tool for assistance as it offers (often appealing) immersive simulations, combining visual and auditory perceptual inputs supporting a feeling of being in a real physical environment. As it could help to effectively recreate the experience of tinnitus in everyday situations, VR may facilitate a deep sense of empathy and comprehension. As a first step in designing the application, a pre-study collected scenarios among people (N = 32) with tinnitus symptoms. These were subsequently implemented in the VR application and evaluated by students (N = 22) without tinnitus symptoms. The application aims to recreate distressing scenarios, to elicit empathy and educate unaffected individuals.