Living with Chronic Suppurative Otitis Media: Quality of Life Impairments and Psychological Distress | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Living with Chronic Suppurative Otitis Media: Quality of Life Impairments and Psychological Distress Muhammad Saad Iqbal, Mishaal Zarar, Ayesha Shoaib, Sikander Hayat, and 6 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7786055/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Background Chronic Suppurative Otitis Media (CSOM) is a crippling disease of the middle ear cavity that leads to hearing impairment and constant drainage. While its physical effects are fully documented, the influence on patients' mental health is still poorly documented. This study explores a connection between CSOM and psychological distress as it applies to the victim's Quality of Life (QoL). Methodology In the ENT department of Fauji Foundation Hospital, Islamabad, Pakistan, this cross-sectional study was conducted. The sample size consisted of 110 medically diagnosed individuals having CSOM, selected via convenience sampling. We utilized the DASS-21 and CES scales to collect data and SPSS v26 for interpretation of data. Results A large number of patients had CSOM for 10 years with just mild to moderate symptoms. Women had greater emotional distress than men, which was associated with to depression (r = 0.312), stress (r = 0.341), and anxiety (r = 0.278). Women scored greater on the DASS-21 and CES subscales. Conclusion In summary, CSOM has had an enormous impact on patients' psychological health and standard of daily life, especially for women and those with chronic medical conditions. The results also clarify the necessity of an integrated approach to fight the disorder's psychological consequences while offering those suffering from a more viable and optimal setting. Chronic Suppurative Otitis Media Psychological Distress Quality of Life Mental Well-being Ear Discharge Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7786055","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":525639454,"identity":"6b719d36-26bf-4724-bee1-c900e0d27457","order_by":0,"name":"Muhammad Saad Iqbal","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA+ElEQVRIiWNgGAWjYBACNgYeBoYHINbx5sMPPoBE2InRkgBinTmWZjgDJMJM0B6Ylhs5CtI8IAYhLXzsuQc/JPyxk+e7kcNgbPNrmzwfMwPjh485eBzG8y5ZIrEt2XDmmbcHHuf23TZsY2Zglpy5DY8WiRwDicQGZsYNx/MSjHN7bjMCtbAx8+LXYvwj4U+9/YYDOQbSlj237YnRYiaRwHY4ccMJoBaGH7cTCWvheZdmkdh2PHkmKJB7G24ntzEzNuP1i3x77uEbH/5U2/aBovLHn9u289ubD374iEcLNFKggLENTDbgU4+mheEPAcWjYBSMglEwIgEAzMRWQEL+YxcAAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"","institution":"Fauji Foundation Hospital","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Muhammad","middleName":"Saad","lastName":"Iqbal","suffix":""},{"id":525639455,"identity":"6e68dd7a-7a30-4acd-9fcf-abe26148bbea","order_by":1,"name":"Mishaal Zarar","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Fauji Foundation Hospital","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Mishaal","middleName":"","lastName":"Zarar","suffix":""},{"id":525639456,"identity":"051d84ae-4506-40e5-8f4f-415b22e293ea","order_by":2,"name":"Ayesha Shoaib","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Fauji Foundation Hospital","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Ayesha","middleName":"","lastName":"Shoaib","suffix":""},{"id":525639457,"identity":"ca4e8596-beaa-4c31-837d-6c68d0d9292b","order_by":3,"name":"Sikander Hayat","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Fauji Foundation Hospital","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Sikander","middleName":"","lastName":"Hayat","suffix":""},{"id":525639458,"identity":"4714e83b-5fe3-46f4-a57c-78f94f57ef05","order_by":4,"name":"Muhammad Hamza Khan","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Fauji Foundation Hospital","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Muhammad","middleName":"Hamza","lastName":"Khan","suffix":""},{"id":525639459,"identity":"ac1b2f4a-17f6-4f7e-8b4a-16a82a715ca2","order_by":5,"name":"Tahira Amjad","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Foundation University Islamabad","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Tahira","middleName":"","lastName":"Amjad","suffix":""},{"id":525639460,"identity":"fa61da1c-9ed3-4052-97b8-9cd7cecdc481","order_by":6,"name":"Hussain Ahmed","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Fauji Foundation Hospital","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Hussain","middleName":"","lastName":"Ahmed","suffix":""},{"id":525639461,"identity":"0e59e764-711d-4900-8af9-477deb0c90aa","order_by":7,"name":"Naila Azam","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Foundation University Islamabad","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Naila","middleName":"","lastName":"Azam","suffix":""},{"id":525639462,"identity":"33903e73-67de-40f3-b901-ebcd68d7b002","order_by":8,"name":"Anika Asghar","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Fauji Foundation Hospital","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Anika","middleName":"","lastName":"Asghar","suffix":""},{"id":525639463,"identity":"a1f44561-2323-46a8-b103-e47bf49557be","order_by":9,"name":"Abdullah Akram","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Fauji Foundation Hospital","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Abdullah","middleName":"","lastName":"Akram","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-10-05 17:23:12","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7786055/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7786055/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":102486340,"identity":"7c03ea74-7235-402b-b959-9b1e0bb30dca","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-02-12 07:43:23","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":463342,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"entresearchfinale4.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7786055/v1_covered_411bfc86-1de1-4e5a-be13-c251a92e5e4c.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Living with Chronic Suppurative Otitis Media: Quality of Life Impairments and Psychological Distress","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":true,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"
[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Chronic Suppurative Otitis Media, Psychological Distress, Quality of Life, Mental Well-being, Ear Discharge","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7786055/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7786055/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cu\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBackground\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/u\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChronic Suppurative Otitis Media (CSOM) is a crippling disease of the middle ear cavity that leads to hearing impairment and constant drainage. While its physical effects are fully documented, the influence on patients' mental health is still poorly documented. This study explores a connection between CSOM and psychological distress as it applies to the victim's Quality of Life (QoL).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cu\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMethodology\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/u\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the ENT department of Fauji Foundation Hospital, Islamabad, Pakistan, this cross-sectional study was conducted. The sample size consisted of 110 medically diagnosed individuals having CSOM, selected via convenience sampling. We utilized the DASS-21 and CES scales to collect data and SPSS v26 for interpretation of data.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cu\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eResults\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/u\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA large number of patients had CSOM for 10 years with just mild to moderate symptoms. Women had greater emotional distress than men, which was associated with to depression (r = 0.312), stress (r = 0.341), and anxiety (r = 0.278). Women scored greater on the DASS-21 and CES subscales.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cu\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConclusion\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/u\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn summary, CSOM has had an enormous impact on patients' psychological health and standard of daily life, especially for women and those with chronic medical conditions. The results also clarify the necessity of an integrated approach to fight the disorder's psychological consequences while offering those suffering from a more viable and optimal setting.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Living with Chronic Suppurative Otitis Media: Quality of Life Impairments and Psychological Distress","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2026-02-12 07:42:21","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7786055/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"
[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"c58f0e4b-b731-4db7-8079-728ad55c4566","owner":[],"postedDate":"February 12th, 2026","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-02-12T07:42:21+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2026-02-12 07:42:21","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-7786055","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-7786055","identity":"rs-7786055","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}
Text is read by the "Ask this paper" AI Q&A widget below.
Extraction quality varies by source — PMC NXML preserves structure
cleanly, OA-HTML may include some navigation residue, and OA-PDF can
have broken hyphenation. The publisher copy
(via DOI)
is the canonical version.