Psychological manifestations of vertigo: a pilot prospective observational study in a Portuguese population

We sought to ascertain the importance of psychological manifestations of vertigo and psychogenic vertigo among a Portuguese population. Sixty patients complaining of vertigo and imbalance were studied over a 2-year period. At each assessment, the patients underwent a general examination, a neurootological evaluation, psychiatric interviews, and psychopathological assessments conducted by a multidisciplinary team. Overall, 38 patients (63.4%) were given diagnoses of some form of psychopathological complaint. A more detailed analysis revealed panic disorder in 9, moderate depressive episode in 42, and mixed anxiety and depressive disorder in 7, whereas the remaining patients (2) suffered from subclinical symptoms of anxiety or depression. Patients with vertigo demonstrate a high incidence of psychopathological complaints, the most common being anxiety disorders. Somatization, obsessive-compulsive behaviors, and depression tend to lessen over time, whereas few changes are seen in anxiety.