Psychiatric symptoms in vertiginous patients.

Backgrounds: Psychiatric comorbidity is common in vertiginous patients. The risk of psychiatric disorder is increased in patients with previous mental problems, but earlier mentally healthy may develop symptoms as well. Especially in chronic phase of vertigo, psychological factors have a significant role in the morbidity.

The sense of coherence in patients with Menière's disease.

Objective: To investigate how the ability to adapt, measured by the sense of coherence (SOC), is related to specific complaints of Menière's disease (MD) and the disease specific and general health related quality of life (EQ-5D) and on disease specific impact of the disease (MD-impact).

Methods: Postal survey, including a structured questionnaire on EQ-5D, SOC, symptoms, positive experiences, and the impact of MD, was sent to the members of the Finnish Menière Federation, reporting a diagnosis compatible with the condition. A sample of 547 members replied and were analyzed.

Somatoform disorders in vertiginous children and adolescents.

Objective: To investigate the frequency and characteristics of psychiatric co morbidity in a group of vertiginous children.

Methods: A retrospective review of patient notes between years 2000 and 2006 in the ENT clinic of Helsinki University Hospital. Patients were identified from the clinic database, based on hospital discharge codes.

Depressive symptoms underestimated in vertiginous patients.

Objective: To assess the prevalence of depression in a group of vertiginous patients gathered by the use of a questionnaire.

Study Design And Setting: Prospective study on 100 randomly selected vertiginous individuals, who were invited for further investigations to the Helsinki University ENT clinic. They also filled in a Beck Depression Index, Zung anxiety scale and DIP-Q, which are self-rating scales to investigate psychiatric symptoms.