Anxiety and depressive disorders in elderly with chronic dizziness of vestibular origin.

INTRODUCTION

Dizziness is one of the most prevalent symptoms in the elderly. Anxiety and depression are common in dizzy adult patients, but there is scarce information about comorbidity between vestibular disturbances and psychiatric disorders in the aged.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the prevalence of anxiety and depression disorders in elderly with chronic dizziness of vestibular origin.

METHODS

Transversal study that used the Brazilian version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview 2.1 to assess anxiety and depressive disorders in elderly patients (≥ 60 years old) with chronic dizziness.

RESULTS

Most of the 44 patients included in the study were female (88.6%) with a mean age of 71 years (± 7.5), 68.1% had experienced dizziness for 1 year or more. The most prevalent diagnosis was benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (52.3%). The prevalence of generalized anxiety disorder and specific phobias during life were 29.5% and 22.7%, respectively, and, in the last 12 months, 18.2% and 15.9%. There was no patient with panic disorder, agoraphobia or social phobia. The prevalence of depressive disorder during life was 45.4%, and, in the last 12 months, were 11.3%.

CONCLUSION

Aged patients with chronic dizziness had high prevalence of some mental disorders.