This study aimed to examine the association between voice disorder and depressive symptoms in schoolteachers. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with elementary and secondary schoolteachers. Voice disorders and depressive symptoms… Click to show full abstract
This study aimed to examine the association between voice disorder and depressive symptoms in schoolteachers. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with elementary and secondary schoolteachers. Voice disorders and depressive symptoms were assessed with the Voice Handicap Index-10 and the Beck Depression Inventory-II, respectively. Logistic and linear regressions models were adjusted for confounding variables. In the 389 schoolteachers studied, the prevalence of voice handicap and depressive symptoms was 18.8 and 38.8%, respectively. Voice handicap was associated with depressive symptoms on all models tested. The logistic regression showed an odds ratio of 2.21 (95% confidence interval: 1.19, 4.08; p value < 0.05), while in the linear regression each point increase on the voice disorder scale increased the Beck Depression Inventory-II score by 0.39 points (95% confidence interval: 0.26, 0.54; p value < 0.05). This study showed that teachers of public schools with voice handicap are twice as likely to report depressive symptoms.
               
Click one of the above tabs to view related content.