If dizziness disrupts your daily life, you may also need to manage stress and depression. A new study suggests that psychological treatment for stress and depression, along with ensuring adequate sleep, is just as crucial as physical therapy for dizziness.
A research team led by Park Hye Yeon from the Department of Psychiatry at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital analyzed data from 4,147 Korean adults aged 40 and older collected through the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) conducted by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. The study examined how psychological factors influence the occurrence and worsening of dizziness. The findings were announced on February 3rd.
Dizziness is a common symptom affecting one in three adults. It can significantly disrupt daily activities and diminish quality of life. If not treated properly, it may progress to a chronic condition lasting more than three months.
The researchers divided the 4,147 participants into two groups based on whether they experienced dizziness. Among these, 1,102 individuals who had experienced dizziness were further classified to identify cases of chronic dizziness.
The study examined various factors, including gender, age, health status, sleep duration, stress levels, depressive symptoms, and dietary and nutritional habits. The team employed network analysis techniques to identify patterns of depressive symptoms related to dizziness. The results showed that women were more likely to experience dizziness than men.
Moreover, individuals reporting high levels of stress or depressive symptoms in their daily lives were found to be more susceptible to dizziness. For women, factors such as arthritis diagnosis, smoking, stress, and depression were linked to dizziness. In men, age, education level, alcohol consumption, stress, and depression had an impact.
Chronic dizziness, lasting more than three months, was associated not only with underlying conditions like eardrum abnormalities and diabetes but also with short sleep durations of five hours or less, high-stress levels, and depression. These findings underscore the importance of treating psychological factors like stress and depression alongside physical treatment and proper sleep.
Interestingly, while a depressed mood was a primary symptom for those with general dizziness, patients with chronic dizziness exhibited more pronounced physical symptoms, such as lethargy or agitation. This suggests that chronic dizziness is related not only to depressive moods but also to psychomotor function and physical well-being.
Park emphasized that this study reveals important differences in dizziness based on gender and identifies key patterns of depressive symptoms in chronic dizziness. These insights provide important foundational data for future personalized treatments.
The study was published in the international journal BMC Psychiatry (Impact Factor 4.4).