Validity of the Turkish Situational Vertigo Questionnaire

The Situational Vertigo Questionnaire (SVQ) is a 19-item self-report scale designed to assess visual vertigo associated with increased visual dependence and insufficient vestibular compensation. Visual vertigo refers to dizziness triggered or worsened in visually complex or disorienting environments such as supermarkets, driving, or moving visual scenes. The condition is thought to arise from difficulties resolving conflicts between visual, vestibular, and proprioceptive inputs. The SVQ asks individuals to rate the severity of dizziness in situations involving visual motion or visual-vestibular conflict. Each item is scored from 0 (none) to 4 (severe), and participants may select "never experienced" if applicable. The total score is calculated based on the average item score, adjusted for items marked as not experienced, with higher scores indicating more severe symptoms.

The scale is used to evaluate the physical, emotional, and functional effects of vestibular disorders. Items 1, 4, 8, 11, 13, 17, and 25 assess physical disability; items 2, 9, 10, 15, 18, 20, 21, 22, and 23 assess emotional disability; and items 3, 5, 6, 7, 12, 14, 16, 19, and 24 assess functional disability. Each item is scored as "yes" (4 points), "no" (0 points), or "sometimes" (2 points). Cut-off values of 28 points for physical disability and 36 points for functional and emotional disability are used. Higher scores indicate more severe dizziness-related impairment.

This questionnaire is designed to assess symptoms accompanying dizziness or perceived imbalance, their frequency, the individual's general mood and anxiety level, and the impact of these symptoms on quality of life. Participants rate each symptom according to how often it occurs using a scale from 0 to 4 (0 = never, 1 = very rarely, 2 = sometimes, 3 = often [about once a week], 4 = very often [most days]). The Turkish validity and reliability of the scale was established by Yanık and colleagues.

Participant satisfaction and enjoyment will be assessed using a 10-cm Visual Analog Scale (VAS). The scale consists of a 10 cm (100 mm) horizontal or vertical line with endpoints representing opposite extremes. In this study, one end indicates "very good satisfaction" and the other indicates "very poor satisfaction (0)." Participants mark the point that best represents their perception. Although commonly used to measure pain intensity, the VAS is also widely applied to evaluate various subjective outcomes. In this study, it will be used to assess participants' level of satisfaction.