title: The relationship between symptom severity, stigma, illness intrusiveness and depression in Mal de Debarquement Syndrome.
abstract: Mal de Debarquement Syndrome is a neurological disorder of motion perception, triggered by external motion. This study aimed to determine the importance of psychosocial factors in relation to depression and quality of life in Mal de Debarquement Syndrome. A total of 66 participants with self-reported Mal de Debarquement Syndrome completed quality-of-life, symptom severity, stigma, depression, and illness intrusiveness measurements in this naturalistic correlational study. Mal de Debarquement Syndrome was associated with high levels of depression and illness intrusiveness. Illness intrusiveness mediated between stigma and quality of life; also the level of stigma moderated the effect of illness intrusiveness on quality of life. Targeted interventions aimed at alleviating psychological distress may improve quality of life in Mal de Debarquement Syndrome.
authors.affiliation: University of East London, UK m.a.arroll@uel.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Megan A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Arroll
authors.affiliation: University of East London, UK.
authors.forename: Elizabeth A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Attree
authors.affiliation: UCLA, USA.
authors.forename: Yoon-Hee
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Cha
authors.affiliation: University of East London, UK.
authors.forename: Christine P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Dancey
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D057545:Social Stigma; D014195:Travel / Q000523:psychology*; D000076082:Travel-Related Illness
keywords: Mal de Debarquement Syndrome; depression; illness intrusiveness; quality of life; stigma