Comorbid Psychiatric Conditions of Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo

Background: No studies have assessed psychopathology among benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) patients. The General Health Questionnaire allows for distinguishing patients suffering from psychiatric problems from those in good mental health. Objective: To assess the psychiatric illness in Saudi patients with BPPV. Methods: The study was cross-sectional in nature. Institutional ethics committee approval and individual informed consent from study participants were obtained. Fifty patients with BPPV with unknown psychiatric illness were given the General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28) questionnaire to complete. Results: Complete data were available for 50 patients. Thirty patients (60%) with BPPV scored above the conventional threshold. Their subgroups were: somatic complaints 28%, anxiety and insomnia 28%, social dysfunction 34%, and severe depression 10%. Conclusions: Greater attention needs to be paid to BPPV patients. Vulnerable female patients may have high levels of psychiatric symptomatology that may benefit from assessment and intervention.