Longitudinal study of Emotional Intelligence Scale items associated with improvement in Meniere’s disease

BACKGROUND: Meniere's disease is a stress-related inner ear disorder characterized by recurrent vertigo and auditory symptoms. Evidence linking stress-coping abilities to clinical outcomes remains limited. Emotional intelligence (EI), particularly the situation-management domain of the Emotional Intelligence Scale (EQS), may influence symptom improvement through adaptability and behavioral flexibility. OBJECTIVE: To examine whether EI assessed by the EQS is associated with improvement in Meniere's disease. METHODS: ≥ 1-grade decrease in disease progression, subjective distress, or limitation of daily activities according to the Japanese severity grading system. Patients with grade 0 at baseline were excluded, leaving 88, 81, and 83 patients for the respective analyses. Seven EQS situation-management items were categorized into low, intermediate, or high. Associations with improvement were examined using multiple logistic regression. RESULTS: Improvement occurred in 29.5% for disease progression, 75.3% for subjective distress, and 78.3% for daily activity limitation. Higher influence and tactfulness were significantly associated with improvement in disease progression, whereas no EQS items were associated with the other outcomes. CONCLUSION: Higher influence and tactfulness may contribute to favorable disease progression in Meniere's disease.