Effect of the comprehensive voice rehabilitation program in teachers with behavioral dysphonia.

PURPOSE: Analyze the effects of the Comprehensive Vocal Rehabilitation Program (CVRP) and the motivational stages during speech therapy in teachers with behavioral dysphonia.

METHODS

Retrospective, longitudinal, observational study using data from the medical records of 33 teachers regarding auditory-perceptual, acoustic, self-perception analyses and the Voice Handicap Index (VHI-10) protocol in pre- and post-speech therapy situations, and motivational stages of adherence to treatment.

RESULTS

Auditory-perceptual assessment of the voice showed that 64.7% of the participants improved voice quality post-speech therapy. Comparison between the pre- and post-speech therapy moments showed that 82.4% of the teachers improved their voice according to self-perception. The VHI-10 showed no statistically significant difference between the pre- and post-speech therapy moments (p=0.879). Acoustic analysis of the voice showed improvement in the means of all evaluated parameters. Statistically significant correlation was observed in the analysis between the pre- and post-speech therapy moments only for the variables maximum phonation time and shimmer. Most of the teachers were at the stage of contemplation on the URICA-VOICE scale. No statistical significance was observed in the correlation analysis between VHI-10, auditory-perceptual assessment of the voice, maximum phonation time, and parameters of acoustic analysis with vocal self-perception of teachers and with auditory-perceptual assessment of voice.

CONCLUSION

The use of CVRP for the treatment of behavioral dysphonia presented positive results in the pre- and post-speech therapy evaluation. As for motivation, the teachers strongly believed in the possibility of facing the problem, but still without much effort to change this situation.