For Healthcare Professionals:
Patients with vestibular disorders often report psychological comorbidities such as anxiety, inner restlessness, or depressive symptoms.
But how frequent are these actually – and how strong is the association?
A recent retrospective cohort study using the TriNetX database investigated the link between vestibular disorders and psychiatric comorbidity.
Study design & methods:
- Data source: TriNetX database (de-identified patient data)
- Sample:
- 64,153 patients with vestibular diagnoses
- 64,153 matched controls without vestibular diagnoses
- Matching: age, sex, comorbidities
- Follow-up period: 5 years after first diagnosis
Key results
- In patients with vestibular disorders, risk was significantly increased:
- Depression: Relative Risk (RR) 1.37
- Anxiety disorder: RR 1.51
- Antidepressant prescription: RR 1.41
- These results clearly demonstrate that vestibular disorders are often accompanied by considerable psychological burden.
Conclusion for Practice
- Vestibular disorders such as Vestibular migraine or Meniere's disease increase the risk of anxiety and depression.
- Functional syndromes such as persistent postural-perceptual dizziness (PPPD) often arise in the context of psychological stress—or develop secondarily after vestibular disease.
- A structured, interdisciplinary Diagnostik and therapeutic approach is essential.
👉 Are you interested in a comprehensive further training in vestibular rehabilitation and in deepening your knowledge of PPPD?
Current further education opportunities can be found in the IVRT Course search.
For Patients – Easy to Understand
Dizziness can affect the mind – and the mind can affect dizziness.
Depression and anxiety are common in people with dizziness.
Many people with dizziness not only feel physically unsteady, but also mentally burdened.
A large US study shows:
People with dizziness are more likely to experience depression and anxiety than the general population.
What are the findings?
- Researchers compared over 64,000 people with vestibular disorders to an equally large group without balance problems. They found:
- Depression and anxiety were clearly more common in people with dizziness.
- Medications for psychological distress were prescribed more often in these patients.
What does this mean
- The balance system is closely connected with brain areas responsible for emotions, stress, and attention.
- Long-term dizziness can trigger a “dizziness–anxiety cycle.”
- Conversely, psychological stress can also change balance and perception.
Did you know?
There is a form of chronic dizziness called "Persistent Postural-Perceptual Dizziness (PPPD)“.
In PPPD, dizziness continues even though the original trigger — such as positional vertigo, a Vestibular neuritis or a dizziness attack due to Menière or Vestibular migraine — has resolved.
Factors such as anxiety, overstimulation, or visual environments (e.g., supermarkets) often play a role.
What you can do
- You are not alone — and there is targeted help!
- Specially trained IVRT® vestibular therapists understand the interaction between body and mind and can help you regain safety and confidence in everyday life.
🎯 Specially trained IVRT® dizziness and vestibular therapists can be found via our IVRT therapist search