Longitudinal study of Emotional Intelligence Scale items associated with improvement in Meniere's disease

Meniere's disease is a stress-related inner ear disorder characterized by recurrent vertigo and auditory symptoms. Evidence linking stress-coping abilities to clinical outcomes remains limited. Emotional intelligence (EI), particularly the situation-management domain of the Emotional Intelligence Scale (EQS), may influence symptom improvement through adaptability and behavioral flexibility.

To examine whether EI assessed by the EQS is associated with improvement in Meniere's disease.

This retrospective study included 93 patients aged 23-82 years who had baseline EQS data and a 12-month follow-up. Improvement was defined as a ≥ 1-grade decrease in disease progression, subjective distress, or limitation of daily activities according to the Japanese severity grading system. Patients with grade 0 at baseline were excluded, leaving 88, 81, and 83 patients for the respective analyses. Seven EQS situation-management items were categorized into low, intermediate, or high. Associations with improvement were examined using multiple logistic regression.

Improvement occurred in 29.5% for disease progression, 75.3% for subjective distress, and 78.3% for daily activity limitation. Higher influence and tactfulness were significantly associated with improvement in disease progression, whereas no EQS items were associated with the other outcomes.

Higher influence and tactfulness may contribute to favorable disease progression in Meniere's disease.