Mental health after laryngectomy and partial laryngectomy:  a comparative study.
Patients treated for laryngeal cancer are confronted daily with the effects of the operation. The choice of treatment method can have a significant impact on psychosocial adjustment. Three hundred and six out-patients who underwent surgical treatment for laryngeal cancer within the last two decades were interviewed in their own homes using the structured clinical interview for DSM-IV (SCID).Psychiatric disorders were diagnosed among 17.3% of the partial laryngectomy patients (PL) and 22.2% of the patients with total laryngectomy (LE). In comparing four variables (age, time elapsed since diagnosis, gender and subjective speech intelligibility), subjective speech intelligibility and age were the variables with a unique, significant effect on the frequency of psychiatric disorders, albeit only in the case of PL patients. The need for psychosocial rehabilitation for patients with partial laryngectomy tends to be underestimated. It is concluded that screening for psychological variables and subjective speech intelligibility can be beneficial for the identification of out-patients lacking appropriate treatment.
Bussian
Claudia
C
Department of Social Medicine, University of Leipzig,Philipp-Rosenthal-Str. 55, 04103 Leipzig, Germany. claudia@bussian.net
Wollbrück
Dorit
D
Danker
Helge
H
Herrmann
Esther
E
Thiele
Alexander
A
Dietz
Andreas
A
Schwarz
Reinhold
R
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery*; D007825:Laryngectomy / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D013060:Speech / Q000502:physiology*; D013065:Speech Intelligibility / Q000502:physiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014833:Voice Quality / Q000502:physiology*