title: Mental health and quality of life in patients with chronic otitis media.
abstract: The present study focused on the comparison of mental health and quality of life (QoL) between chronic otitis media (COM) patients and the hearing population. The patients with chronic otitis media and healthy control group were enrolled in the study. The duration and severity of the auditory impairment were recorded. In addition to hearing loss (HL), the findings of each patient's other ear disorders (ear discharge and tinnitus) were also recorded. In both the groups, psychological symptom profile and health-related QoL were evaluated and compared using a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Symptom Check List 90-Revised Form (SCL-90-R), and the Short Form-36 (SF-36). According to SCL-90-R, somatization (p < 0.001), interpersonal sensitivity (p < 0.001), depression (p < 0.001), phobic anxiety (p < 0.001), and other subscores, and also global severity index score (p < 0.001) were significantly high in patient group when compared to the control group. The patients with COM reported significantly lower levels of QoL in terms of physical role difficulty (p < 0.001), general health perception (p < 0.004), social functioning (p < 0.001), and mental health (p < 0.017) than those of control subjects. Our results indicated that COM patients with mild or moderate HL have poorer life quality and higher psychological problems. Psychological well being should be also considered in assessment of COM patients in addition to the clinical evaluation and audiological tests.
authors.affiliation: Department of ENT & Head and Neck Surgery, Dicle University Medical College, 21280 Diyarbakir, Turkey. drsalihbakir@gmail.com
authors.forename: Salih
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bakir
authors.forename: Vefa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kinis
authors.forename: Yasin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bez
authors.forename: Ramazan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gun
authors.forename: Ediz
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Yorgancilar
authors.forename: Musa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ozbay
authors.forename: Bülent
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Aguloglu
authors.forename: Faruk
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Meric
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000150:complications*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010033:Otitis Media / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D055815:Young Adult