Background: Teachers, as professional voice users, are at particular risk of voice disorders. Among contributing factors, stress and psychological tension could play a role but epidemiological data on this problem are scarce. The aim of this study was to evaluate prevalence and cofactors of voice disorders among teachers in the French National Education system, with particular attention paid to the association between voice complaint and psychological status.
Methods: The source data come from an epidemiological postal survey on physical and mental health conducted in a sample of 20,099 adults (in activity or retired) selected at random from the health plan records of the national education system. Overall response rate was 53%. Of the 10,288 respondents, 3,940 were teachers in activity currently giving classes to students. In the sample of those with complete data (n = 3,646), variables associated with voice disorders were investigated using logistic regression models. Studied variables referred to demographic characteristics, socio-professional environment, psychological distress, mental health disorders (DSM-IV), and sick leave.
Results: One in two female teachers reported voice disorders (50.0%) compared to one in four males (26.0%). Those who reported voice disorders presented higher level of psychological distress. Sex- and age-adjusted odds ratios [95% confidence interval] were respectively 1.8 [1.5-2.2] for major depressive episode, 1.7 [1.3-2.2] for general anxiety disorder, and 1.6 [1.2-2.2] for phobia. A significant association between voice disorders and sick leave was also demonstrated (1.5 [1.3-1.7]).
Conclusion: Voice disorders were frequent among French teachers. Associations with psychiatric disorders suggest that a situation may exist which is more complex than simple mechanical failure. Further longitudinal research is needed to clarify the comorbidity between voice and psychological disorders.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-9-370 | DOI Listing |
J Speech Lang Hear Res
January 2025
Center for Laryngeal Surgery and Voice Rehabilitation, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston.
Purpose: The Daily Phonotrauma Index (DPI) can quantify pathophysiological mechanisms associated with daily voice use in individuals with phonotraumatic vocal hyperfunction (PVH). Since DPI was developed based on weeklong ambulatory voice monitoring, this study investigated if DPI can achieve comparable performance using (a) short laboratory speech tasks and (b) fewer than 7 days of ambulatory data.
Method: An ambulatory voice monitoring system recorded the vocal function/behavior of 134 females with PVH and vocally healthy matched controls in two different conditions.
Disabil Rehabil
January 2025
Centre for Language and Communication Science Research, School of Health and Psychological Sciences, University of London, London, UK.
Purpose: To determine what evidence there is for the effectiveness/efficacy of interventions to improve outcomes in adults with Functional Communication Disorders (FCDs).
Materials And Methods: Seven electronic databases were searched two platforms. The review was performed according to PRISMA guidelines.
J Voice
January 2025
Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Education, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China.
The assessment of vocal function plays an important role in the diagnosis of voice disorders. With the continuous development of voice medicine in China, the evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of voice disorders are gradually professionalized and standardized. Experts of the Subspecialty Group of Voice, Society of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Chinese Medical Association; Subspecialty Group of Laryngopharyngology, Editorial Board of Chinese Journal of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery reached the expert consensus through clinical research, literature search, and quality evaluation, as well as two meetings and two rounds of questionnaire voting.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Voice
January 2025
Division of Phoniatrics, ENT University Hospital Graz, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria; Division of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Otto Loewi Research Center for Vascular Biology, Immunology and Inflammation, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
Int J Lang Commun Disord
January 2025
Division of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa.
Background: There is a global need for synthetic speech development in multiple languages and dialects, as many children who cannot communicate using their natural voice struggle to find synthetic voices on high-technology devices that match their age, social and linguistic background.
Aims: To document multiple stakeholders' perspectives surrounding the quality, acceptability and utility of newly created synthetic speech in three under-resourced South African languages, namely South African English, Afrikaans and isiXhosa.
Methods & Procedures: A mixed methods research design was selected.
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