Idiopathic intracranial hypertension - Relationship to depression, anxiety, and quality of life

Objective: To explore the incidence of depression and anxiety and to measur e quality of life in women with idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH), a matched group cross-sectional study was conducted. Women with IIH (n = 2 8) were compared with control groups of weight- and age-matched women not d iagnosed with IIH (n = 30) and with age-matched women of normal weight (n = 30). Methods: Eighty-eight women completed a questionnaire soliciting heal th information and standardized questionnaires measuring depression, anxiet y, and quality of life. The groups were compared using analysis of variance and chi(2) tests. Where appropriate, post hoc comparisons were made using Fisher's test. Results: Patients with IIH reported a greater number of adve rse health problems than either of the control groups. Non-health-related p sychosocial concerns were equally prevalent among the three groups, but IIH patients were significantly more affected by hardships associated with hea lth problems than the other two groups. The patient group also had higher l evels of depression and anxiety than the control groups. These adverse heal th conditions were reflected in decreased quality of life measures for the IIH patients. Conclusions: This study supports previous reports that link o besity and psychosocial difficulties, but obesity alone is not the explanat ion for the higher levels of depression and lower levels of quality of life .