The effects of depression and anxiety levels on the status of recovery in patients with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss

Abstract

Objective: To compare the severity of anxiety and depression symptoms in idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSHL) patients with (n=33) and without (n=17) recovery, and healthy control group. Methods: This study was conducted on ISSHL inpatients (n=50) and a healthy control group (n=52). Severity of the anxiety and depression symptoms was assessed using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) during admission. Hearing data of all 50 cases obtained at baseline and after the treatment (at the end of the 4th week) were gathered from the audiological evaluation form of each patient. Results: The rates of ISSHL patients with and without recovery were 66% and 34%, respectively. The mean BDI and STAI-II scores of the patients with ISSHL were significantly higher than those of the control group (11.4 +/- 8.6 vs. 6.8 +/- 4.3 and 41.6 +/- 7.3 vs. 36.7 +/- 8.4, respectively; p<0.05). Among the ISSHL patients, there was a moderate and significant positive correlation between the BDI and STSI-II scores (r=0.617, p<0.05). The mean BDI, STAI-I, and STAI-II scores of the control group were significantly lower than those of the recovery and no recovery groups (p<0.05). However, the recovery and no-recovery groups did not show any difference in terms of mean BDI, STAI-I and STAI-II scores (p>0.05). Conclusion: ISSHL patients had a more depressive and anxious mood compared to the healthy controls. However, anxiety and depressive mood had no effect on the recovery status of the ISSHL patients. Physicians also need to pay attention to the status of anxiety and depressive symptoms in patients with ISSHL.