Psychological Aspects of Female Patients with Moderate-to-Severe Persistent Allergic Rhinitis

Abstract

Background: Allergic rhinitis (AR) has been shown to impair social life and psychological functioning. The objective of our study was to explore the relationships between moderate-to-severe persistent AR and personality traits in non-psychiatric female outpatients. Methods: Female subjects were assigned to the allergic (n = 52, 24 singletons and 28 non-singletons) or non-allergic group (n = 28, 11 singletons and 17 non-singletons) on the basis of skin prick tests (SPT) and allergic symptoms. Individuals in this study were only allergic to Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and/or D. farinae. The psychological aspects of the female subjects were assessed by using the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI). Results: The allergic group scored significantly higher than the non-allergic group on 6 clinical scales [hypochondriasis (Hs), depression (D), hysteria (Hy), psychasthenia (Pt), schizophrenia (Sc), social introversion (Si)] and 1 validity scale [infrequency (F)]. Analysis of female singleton outpatient MMPI profiles showed that allergic subjects scored significantly higher on D, Hy, masculinity/femininity (Mf), Pt, and F. In addition, the grade of skin index (resulting from an SPT) was positively correlated with T-scores on the Hs, Hy, Pt, and Sc scales. Conclusion: Women with moderate-to-severe persistent AR, especially singleton patients, show poorer psychological functioning, indicating the close relationship between moderate-to-severe persistent AR and psychological functioning.