Top

Gepubliceerd in:

01-03-2014

Consequences of visual height intolerance for quality of life: a qualitative study

Gepubliceerd in: Quality of Life Research | Uitgave 2/2014

Abstract

Purpose

Visual height intolerance (vHI) occurs when a trigger causes the apprehension of losing balance and falling. Depending on the severity of vHI, an avoidance behavior may develop in about 50 % of the thus afflicted, and it can have considerable impact on their daily life and interpersonal interactions. It seems obvious that such experiences may be impairing and distressing, but this has not yet been examined systematically. Objective of this study was to examine the consequences of vHI for quality of life.

Methods

A qualitative, phenomenological exploratory approach was chosen. Individual face-to-face interviews were conducted with individuals who had reported in a previous study that they were susceptible to vHI. The interview transcripts were segregated into distinct meaning units, which were used to create a coding guideline with meta- and subcodes. Meaning units were then systematically extracted and assigned to the appropriate codes. Weights and links were used to assign priorities for interpretation.

Results

Eighteen participants were interviewed (mean age 53, range 30–73; 11 females). Data analysis resulted in 29 meta-codes and 115 subcodes. Responses indicated that vHI can be very disabling and has a relevant impact on quality of life and daily activities of the affected persons, including their family life and behavior towards partner, children and friends.

Conclusion

Relevant topics for further quantitative studies were identified, for example, strategies of compensation and the influence of vHI on family life. Other quantitative studies should determine whether comorbidities and the typologies found in this study have consequences for individual therapeutic approaches.

vorige artikel Is a diabetes pay-for-performance program cost-effective under the National Health Insurance in Taiwan?

volgende artikel Fatigue interference with daily living among patients with inflammatory bowel disease

Brandt, T., Arnold, F., Bles, W., & Kapteyn, T. S. (1980). The mechanism of physiological height vertigo. I. Theoretical approach and psychophysics. Acta Oto-Laryngologica, 89(5–6), 513–523.PubMedCrossRef

Brandt, T., Strupp, M., & Huppert, D. (2012). Height intolerance: An underrated threat. Journal of Neurology, 259(4), 759–760.PubMedCrossRef

Huppert, D., Grill, E., & Brandt, T. (2013). Down on heights? One in three has visual height intolerance. Journal of Neurology, 260(2), 597–604.PubMedCrossRef

World Health Organsiation. (1993). The ICD-10 Classification of mental and behavioral disorders. Clinical Description and Diagnostic Guidelines. Geneva: WHO.

American Psychiatric Association (2000). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. In C. O. N. A. Statistics (Ed.). Washington DC: American Psychiatric Press.

LeBeau, R. T., Glenn, D., Liao, B., Wittchen, H.-U., Beesdo-Baum, K., Ollendick, T., et al. (2010). Specific phobia: A review of DSM-IV specific phobia and preliminary recommendations for DSM-V. Depression and Anxiety, 27(2), 148–167.PubMedCrossRef

Menzies, R. G., & Clarke, J. C. (1995). Danger expectancies and insight in acrophobia. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 33(2), 215–221.PubMedCrossRef

Salassa, J. R., & Zapala, D. A. (2009). Love and fear of heights: The pathophysiology and psychology of height imbalance. Wilderness and environmental medicine, 20(4), 378–382.PubMedCrossRef

Olatunji, B. O., Cisler, J. M., & Tolin, D. F. (2007). Quality of life in the anxiety disorders: a meta-analytic review. Clinical Psychological Review, 27(5), 572–581.CrossRef

10.

Barrera, T. L., & Norton, P. J. (2009). Quality of life impairment in generalized anxiety disorder, social phobia, and panic disorder. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 23(8), 1086–1090.PubMedCentralPubMedCrossRef

11.

Depla, M. F., ten Have, M. L., van Balkom, A. J., & de Graaf, R. (2008). Specific fears and phobias in the general population: results from the Netherlands Mental Health Survey and Incidence Study (NEMESIS). Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 43(3), 200–208.PubMedCrossRef

12.

Lamnek, S. (2010). Qualitative Sozialforschung (5Ed.). Basel: Beltz.

13.

Flick, U. (2009). An Introduction to Qualitative Research (4Ed.). London: SAGE Publications.

14.

Witzel, A. (1982). Verfahren der qualitativen Sozialforschung. Überblick und Alternativen. Campus: Frankfurt am Main.

15.

Witzel, A. (2000). The Problem-Centered Interview. Forum: Qualitative social research.

16.

Ware, J. E., Jr, & Sherbourne, C. D. (1992). The MOS 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36): I. Conceptual Framework and Item Selection. Medical Care, 30(6), 473–483.PubMedCrossRef

17.

Grill, E., & Stucki, G. (2011). Criteria for validating comprehensive ICF Core Sets and developing brief ICF Core Set versions. Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine, 43(2), 87–91.PubMedCrossRef

18.

Mayring, P. (2004). Qualitative Content Analysis. In E. Kardorff, I. Steinke, U. Flick (Ed.), A Companion to Qualitative Research (pp. 266–269). London: SAGE Publications.

19.

Schmidt, C. (2004). The Analysis of Semi-structured Interviews. In E. Kardorff, I. Steinke, U. Flick (Ed.), A Companion to Qualitative Research (pp. 253–258). London: SAGE Publications.

20.

Mayring, P. (2000). Qualitative content analysis. Forum: Qualitative social research.

21.

Kelle, U., Kluge, S. (2010). Vom Einzelfall zum Typus. Fallvergleich und Kontrastierung in der qualitativen Sozialforschung (2Ed.). Wiesbaden: VS.

22.

Flick, U. (2009). Sozialforschung. Methoden und Anwendungen. Ein Überblick für BA-Studiengänge.. Rowohlt: Reinbeck.

23.

Stefanucci, J. K., & Proffitt, D. R. (2009). The roles of altitude and fear in the perception of height. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 35(2), 424–438.PubMedCentralPubMed

24.

Lochner, C., Mogotsi, M., du Toit, P. L., Kaminer, D., Niehaus, D. J., & Stein, D. J. (2003). Quality of life in anxiety disorders: a comparison of obsessive-compulsive disorder, social anxiety disorder, and panic disorder. Psychopathology, 36(5), 255–262.PubMedCrossRef

25.

Rapaport, M. H., Clary, C., Fayyad, R., & Endicott, J. (2005). Quality-of-life impairment in depressive and anxiety disorders. American Journal of Psychiatry, 162(6), 1171–1178.PubMedCrossRef

26.

Norberg, M. M., Diefenbach, G. J., & Tolin, D. F. (2008). Quality of life and anxiety and depressive disorder comorbidity. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 22(8), 1516–1522.PubMedCrossRef

27.

Magee, W. J., Eaton, W. W., Wittchen, H. U., McGonagle, K. A., & Kessler, R. C. (1996). Agoraphobia, simple phobia, and social phobia in the National Comorbidity Survey. Archives of General Psychiatry, 53(2), 159–168.PubMedCrossRef

28.

Brandt, T., Benson, J., Huppert, D. (2012). What to call “non-phobic” fear of heights? The British Journal of Psychiatry, 190(81).

Titel: Consequences of visual height intolerance for quality of life: a qualitative study
Publicatiedatum: 01-03-2014
Gepubliceerd in: Quality of Life Research / Uitgave 2/2014
Print ISSN: 0962-9343
Elektronisch ISSN: 1573-2649
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-013-0506-6

Bohn Stafleu van Loghum

Deel dit onderdeel of sectie (kopieer de link)

Abstract

Purpose

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Log in om toegang te krijgen

Andere artikelen Uitgave 2/2014

Determinants of quality of life in Spanish transsexuals attending a gender unit before genital sex reassignment surgery

Development and initial psychometric evaluation of the hepatitis C virus-patient-reported outcomes (HCV-PRO) instrument

Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Manchester Foot Pain and Disability Index into Spanish

The valuation of the EQ-5D in Portugal

How to measure quality of life in shared-housing arrangements? A comparison of dementia-specific instruments

Quality of life as a predictor of overall survival after breast cancer treatment