Locus of Control and Dizziness: Mediation Effect of Self-Efficacy

Abstract

Objectives: An attention to psychological aspects can clarify the understanding and management of patients with unresolved dizziness/vertigo. Thus, we study the locus of control and the mediation effect of self-efficacy for assessing the relationship between locus of control and dizziness/vertigo in a referral-based dizziness clinic.Methods: We analyzed the dizziness-specific locus of control and self-efficacy using the modified questionnaire in 117 consecutive dizzy patients (34 males; age range, 20–74 years). In addition to the visual analogue scale-dizziness for evaluation of subjective dizziness, the following items were further evaluated; Korean Dizziness Handicap Inventory, Korean Beck Depression Inventory II, and Korean Beck Anxiety Inventory. According to the verification procedure proposed by Hayes, the mediation effect of self-efficacy verifies the relationship between the locus of control and dizziness through analysis.Results: Except the scale of emotion such as anxiety and depression, sex, age, duration of illness, and diagnosis all did not significantly affect the dependent variables. Vestibular migraine (39.3%), vestibulopathy (15.4%), and dizziness associated with anxiety and depression (14.5%) were the most common diagnoses. On all scales, Cronbach’s α ranged from 0.72 to 0.94. In the direct effect, the internal locus of control had a tendency of aggravation of dizziness/vertigo, but in the indirect effect, the higher the internal locus of control, the higher the self-efficacy, and the higher the self-efficacy, the lower the dizziness.Conclusions: In our study, we can assume that the locus of control can impart ambivalent effects on dizziness/vertigo. And the modulation of self-efficacy could be another treatment for patients with unresolved dizziness.