Utility of the Type D Scale 16 and Voice Handicap Index to assist voice care in student teachers and teachers.

Abstract

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.