Utility of the Type D Scale 16 and Voice Handicap Index to assist voice care in student teachers and teachers.
An epidemiological cross-sectional survey study was performed among female student teachers and teachers for primary education, using a general questionnaire, the Type D Scale 16 (DS16) and Voice Handicap Index (VHI). Type D personality is the combination of high 'negative affectivity' and high 'social inhibition', and the DS16 has been considered to be a reliable and valid measure of these two stable personality traits. The objectives of the study were to assess the VHI of type D subjects in comparison to non-type-D subjects, to explore the utility of the DS16 and the VHI to assess whether subjects with a type D personality were more handicapped due to their voice complaints, and whether they behaved differently in seeking voice care. It was investigated whether subjects of the type D group in comparison to the non-type-D group had a voice handicap even when they did not report voice complaints. The type D group did not report more voice complaints than the non-type-D group. However, the type D group had higher VHI scores compared to the non-type-D group. Furthermore, significantly more type D subjects had a VHI score greater than the 75th percentile than the non-type-D subjects, and they sought less voice care than the non-type-D subjects. Also among subjects who reported voice complaints, the type D group sought less care than the non-type-D group. Even among the subjects who did not report voice complaints, significantly more type D than non-type-D subjects had VHI scores higher than the 75th percentile. The findings indicated that type D subjects were apparently more bothered by their voice than the non-type-D subjects (high VHI scores); however, they did not report more voice complaints, and they also sought less voice care. The DS16 used along with the VHI was useful to identify subjects of the type D trait with a voice handicap. This enables specific voice care, encompassing not only physical, but also psychosocial aspects of vocal health.
Thomas
G
G
Department of ORL, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
de Jong
F I C R S
FI
Kooijman
P G C
PG
Cremers
C W R J
CW
D000328:Adult; D001530:Belgium / Q000453:epidemiology; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005178:Faculty; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010551:Personality; D010552:Personality Assessment / Q000592:standards*; D015995:Prevalence; D013070:Speech Therapy / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014832:Voice Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D014833:Voice Quality