title: Attitudes of significant others of people with Ménière's disease vary from coping to victimization.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the impact, reactions and coping methods of the significant others (SOs) of people with Ménière's disease (MD).
  
  
  METHODS
  SOs of people with MD were asked to answer open-ended questions reporting the 'life effects' and 'positive experiences' they have had as a result of the partner's condition. The replies to the 'life effects' question was categorized using the WHO-ICF framework. The responses of 'life effects' from this study and the 'positive experiences' reported in a recent study ( Manchaiah et al, 2013 ) were evaluated with K-means clustering analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-eight SOs (42 male, 42 female, and four did not state gender).
  
  
  RESULTS
  While the SOs mainly listed their own problems, a significant number of responses related to the problems of their partner. Personal perspectives tended to focus on the consequences of their partner's condition, whereas in perspectives of their partner they focussed on his/her symptoms. Further, replies from 81 SOs were used in evaluation of responses and were classified into four categories: constrained life attitude; disease burden attitude; care and support attitude; and social isolation attitude.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study support the importance of including the SO of people with MD in the rehabilitation process.
authors.affiliation: * Department of Otolaryngology, University Hospital of Tampere , Finland.
authors.forename: Ilmari
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Pyykkő
authors.forename: Vinaya
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Manchaiah
authors.forename: Hilla
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Levo
authors.forename: Erna
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kentala
authors.forename: Jyrki
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rasku
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001294:Attitude to Health; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008575:Meniere Disease / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D018454:Spouses / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Ménière's disease; contextual factors; coping; peer support; significant others; support