Psychological Assessment of Patients with Menière's Disease

The objective of this study was to evaluate daily stressors, coping, personality, physical and mental health, and quality of life in Menière patients. 110 consecutive patients with definite Menière's disease were assessed using the Dutch Daily Hassles List, Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS), Symptoms Checklist 90 (SCL-90), NEO Five Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI), General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), and the Short Form Health Survey 36 (SF-36). Duration and subjective severity of symptoms were scored using a self-report questionnaire. It was shown that Menière patients had more daily stressors, used certain coping strategies less often, and had more psychopathology (e.g. anxiety and depression), and a worse quality of life compared to healthy reference groups. No abnormalities in personality were found. Patients with more severe symptoms had more psychopathology and a worse quality of life than patients with mild symptoms. The psychological profile of Menière patients seems comparable to patients with other chronic diseases. The outcomes should be used to intensify psychological support in patients with this disabling disease.