Abstract
IntroductionOlfactory dysfunction can have a negative impact on emotional well-being. The aim of the present study was to examine associations between olfactory deficits and two affective personality characteristics (trait anxiety/trait depression).MethodsA questionnaire study was conducted with a total of 116 participants (33 classified as anosmic, 40 as hyposmic, and 39 as normosmic). All participants gave self-reports on two facets of trait depression (dysthymia, euthymia) and trait anxiety (arousal, worrying). Due to the fact that in all three groups, trait depression and anxiety were substantially correlated, analyses of covariance were conducted.ResultsAfter controlling for trait depression, anosmic and hyposmic patients showed lower trait arousal compared to normosmic controls (partial η2 = .05). After controlling for trait anxiety, patients scored higher on dysthymia (partial η2 = .06).ConclusionsThis study underlines the importance of statistically isolating specific associations between each of these affective personality characteristics and olfactory dysfunction.ImplicationsThe present findings suggest that olfactory dysfunction can have opposite effects on facets of trait depression and trait anxiety.
Highlights
Olfactory dysfunction can have a negative impact on emotional well-being
Group Differences in Euthymia and Dysthymia Due to the substantial correlation between overall trait anxiety and trait depression scores, we conducted ANCOVAs, controlling for trait anxiety, in order to examine the unique relationship between trait depression and olfactory performance
The results showed that, when controlling for differences in trait anxiety, the three groups differed in Dysthymia (F(2108) = 3.59, p = .03, partial eta squared = .06)
Summary
Olfactory dysfunction can have a negative impact on emotional well-being. The aim of the present study was to examine associations between olfactory deficits and two affective personality characteristics (trait anxiety/trait depression). Methods A questionnaire study was conducted with a total of 116 participants (33 classified as anosmic, 40 as hyposmic, and 39 as normosmic). Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 26, A-8036 Graz, Austria investigated patients who were born without a sense of smell (congenital anosmia). These patients obtained higher mean scores (M ± SD) on the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI; Hautzinger et al 1994) than normosmic controls (10.47 ± 9.38 vs 4.63 ± 6.61). Mean BDI scores differed significantly between participants classified as normosmic, hyposmic, or anosmic (5.21 ± 4.73 vs 10.93 ± 9.25 vs 14.15 ± 5.39). Anosmic/ hyposmic patients experienced affective changes (elevated sad mood) in their daily lives, no depression in the sense of a mental disorder
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