Spouse perceptions of patient self-reported vertigo severity and dizziness

The present investigation was conducted in an effort to assess the level of congruence between patients and spouses for the patient's self-reported vertigo severity and dizziness handicap. Prospective study. Fifty consecutive patients, and their spouses, evaluated in our Balance Disorders Labor...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Otology & neurotology Vol. 33; no. 6; pp. 1034 - 1039
Main Authors:	Piker, Erin G, Jacobson, Gary P, Tran, Aline T, McCaslin, Devin L, Hale, Sue T
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	United States 01-08-2012
Subjects:	Anxiety - psychology Depression - psychology Disability Evaluation Dizziness - physiopathology Female Humans Male Marriage Middle Aged Psychometrics Spouses Surveys and Questionnaires Vertigo - physiopathology
Online Access:	Get full text
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Summary:	The present investigation was conducted in an effort to assess the level of congruence between patients and spouses for the patient's self-reported vertigo severity and dizziness handicap. Prospective study. Fifty consecutive patients, and their spouses, evaluated in our Balance Disorders Laboratory in the Division of Vestibular Sciences. Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI), Spouse version of the DHI (DHI-SP), Vertigo Symptom Scale (VSS), Spouse version of the VSS (VSS-SP), and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). The mean DHI and DHI-SP total scores were not statistically different from one another (t49 = 1.58, p = 0.16) and were strongly correlated (r = 0.79, p < 0.01). The VSS and VSS-SP scores were statistically different (t49 = 2.33, p = 0.02) but were still moderately correlated (r = 0.56, p < 0.01). Spouses tended to overestimate vertigo severity. We observed an increase in the frequency of occurrence of clinically significant anxiety and depression not only in patients but in spouses as well. Furthermore, anxious patients tended to be married to anxious spouses, and depressed patients tended to be married to depressed spouses. Finally, the mean DHI scores were significantly greater for patients with clinically significant anxiety and/or depression, but the presence of patient anxiety and/or depression did not affect spousal congruence. The results attest to the congruence of patient and spouse perceptions of vertigo severity and dizziness handicap.
Bibliography:	ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23
ISSN:	1531-7129 1537-4505
DOI:	10.1097/MAO.0b013e31825d9a13