Affiliations: Abteilung für Psychotherapie und Psychosomatik, Universität Freiburg, Germany | Neurologische Klinik und Poliklinik, Universität Freiburg, Germany | Neurologische Klinik, Rudolf-Virchow-Krankenhaus, Humboldt-Universität Berlin, Germany | Neurologische Klinik, Universität Düsseldorf, Germany | Neurologische Klinik, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Germany | Neurologische Klinik, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Germany
Note: [] Correspondence to: T. Nickel and C.E. Scheidt, Department of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatic Medicine, University of Freiburg, Hauptstr. 8, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
Note: [] Correspondence to: T. Nickel and C.E. Scheidt, Department of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatic Medicine, University of Freiburg, Hauptstr. 8, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
Abstract: Psychosocial changes in spasmodic torticollis (ST) affect predominantly social life, professional life and psychological well-being. Concerning social life, 84.6% of the patients felt that they attracted considerable public attention due to their neurological illness and 65% had reduced participation in social events. A substantial number of patients had retired from professional activities; others felt severely impaired in their working capacity. The psychosocial sequelae in ST, however, seemed to depend less on the neurological signs per se than on the physical symptoms and on coping. Depressive coping in particular emerged as a predictor of psychosocial distress.
