Journal of Psychosomatic Research
Volume 65, Issue 4 , Pages 371-380, October 2008

The background biopsychosocial status of teachers with voice problems

  • Isabelle Vanhoudt

      Affiliations

    • Department of ENT-Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital, KU Leuven, Belgium
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Department of Neurosciences, Onderwijs & Navorsing 2, Herestraat 49 bus 721, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium.
    • ,
  • George Thomas

      Affiliations

    • Department of ORL, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
    • ,
  • Willy A.R. Wellens

      Affiliations

    • Department of ENT-Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital, KU Leuven, Belgium
    • ,
  • Hans Vertommen

      Affiliations

    • Research Group Psychodiagnostics and Psychopathology, KU Leuven, Belgium
    • ,
  • Felix I.C.R.S de Jong

      Affiliations

    • Department of ENT-Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital, KU Leuven, Belgium

Received 12 October 2007; received in revised form 6 March 2008; accepted 6 March 2008. published online 01 September 2008.

Abstract 

Objective

The aim of the study was to explore the background biopsychosocial status of teachers with a relative voice handicap. The study also intended to investigate this biopsychosocial status in relation to behavior of not always reporting voice complaints.

Methods

This research was a cross-sectional survey, performed using questionnaires: a general voice questionnaire, the Voice Handicap Index (VHI), and the Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90). The focus of the study is on those teachers who score the highest and the lowest on the SCL-90 as they report a higher or lower level of overall physical and psychosocial dysfunction. Fifty-five teachers score in the lowest quartile and 51 teachers score in the highest quartile of the total score of the SCL-90 (N=106 teachers). The upper quartiles of SCL-90 scores are mentioned as “high scores” and the lower quartile scores are mentioned as “low scores”. VHI scores above the 75th percentile are referred to as “high voice handicap” and VHI scores below the 25th percentile are referred to as “low voice handicap”.

Results

Subjects who had a high voice handicap have a greater relative risk for a high score on all the subscales (ORs between 2.1 and 20.2) and total score (OR=12.5) of the SCL-90. Teachers who had a high voice handicap and who did not report voice complaints have a greater relative risk for a high score for all the subscales (ORs between 1.8 and 24.5) and total score (OR=22.4) of the SCL-90.

Conclusion

The voice handicap and the behaviour of nonreporting of voice complaints when having a voice handicap appear to be in relation to the biopsychosocial status of the teachers.

Keywords: Teachers, Biopsychosocial, VHI, SCL-90, Voice complaints, Voice diagnostics, Voice therapy management

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PII: S0022-3999(08)00287-0

doi:10.1016/j.jpsychores.2008.03.020

Journal of Psychosomatic Research
Volume 65, Issue 4 , Pages 371-380, October 2008

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