No abstract

Depending on gender and type of voice disorder, dysphonic patients suffer from different physical complaints. Both patients with functional and organic disorders are affected. Therefore, it does not seem justified to classify functional voice disorders as somatoform disorders.

It can no longer be assumed that patients with functional voice disorders over emphasize their disease. The data obtained in this study prove that there are no gender specific differences in the way a voice disorder is experienced. There are also no differences in the way patients with a different language background experience their voice handicap.