Investigator(s): Jamie DeTrinidad M.A.

Study Title: The Relationship Between Alexithymia and Vertigo and Implications for Effective Psychotherapy

I am a student at The Chicago School. This study is being conducted as a part of my dissertation requirement for The Chicago School.

I am asking you to participate in a research study about vertigo symptoms and associated emotional, mental, and physical experiences. You will be asked to complete a series of brief online questionnaires about your experience living with vertigo. This will take about 15-20 minutes of your time through SurveyMonkey. This may cause emotional distress or upset, and your confidentiality may be at risk. Although you may not benefit, it will help to understand the relationship between vertigo symptom severity, emotional states, and resilience factors, as it may support improvement in treatment efforts.

Please take the time to read the entire document, and feel free to ask any questions before clicking submit.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to understand the relationship between vertigo symptom severity and other factors, such as health-related quality of life, emotional state, and resilience. By determining the extent of these relationships, clinicians may be able to better support individualized treatment that aligns with patients’ unique symptom presentations. Vestibular vertigo symptoms are defined as being off balance, dizzy, or having a sense of movement when there is none and typically occur due to certain vestibular disorders. The study hopes to gain information that might help provide more effective and efficient care to individuals living with chronic or episodic vestibular vertigo.

Procedures: You will complete an online questionnaire through SurveyMonkey. The expected time requirement is 15-20 minutes, though some individuals may complete them faster or take longer than the estimated time. It is recommended that the questionnaire be completed in one sitting and answer questions independently. No directly identifying information, such as name or email address, will be requested. You can stop participating in the study at any time and choose not to submit your responses.

Compensation: You will not be directly compensated for your time. However, your time is greatly appreciated. As a thank-you, a one-time study donation of $100 will be made on my behalf to the Mental Health America nonprofit organization. MHA is an organization that focuses on prevention, early intervention, and access to mental health resources. https://www.mhanational.org/.