Voice Handicap Index Associated With Common Mental Disorders in Elementary School Teachers

Vocal acoustic and auditory-perceptual measures, vocal complaints and professional characteristics of teachers from the city of Santa Maria (Rio Grande do Sul), Brazil

“…This has been verified in the literature, considering the characteristics of working conditions imposed on teachers (1)(2)(3)5,6,8,14) . Some examples are: accumulation of activities and functions, extended working hours, work overload, excessive vocal demand, lack of breaks and resting areas during the day, lack of autonomy, accelerated pace of work for the achievement of goals, work under strong pressure, dissatisfaction with work or remuneration, inadequate posture and equipment, poor access to health and hydration, sound pressure above comfort levels, unfavorable acoustics, inadequate and insufficient furniture and material resources, discomfort and thermal shock, poor air quality, improper ventilation, low humidity, and exposure to irritant chemicals by breathing (solvents, metal fumes, asphyxiating gases) and dust or smoke in the workplace (1) .…”

“…Intensive and inappropriate uses of voice, lack of respiratory control and individual susceptibility, reinforced by physical, social and psychological factors that also cause work-related (1,2,6,8) voice disorders, may contribute to the presence roughness, breathiness, hoarseness, and/or vocal instability (3,24,28) . Rest periods and less vocal demand can improve the voice quality of subjects, and as the incorrect uses of voice by teachers are repeated, disorders appear over time (24) , as in the cases of this study.…”

“…It is one of the most important ways whereby individuals occupy a position in society, and a good occupational status is a determining health factor. For this reason, a growing number of studies have sought to investigate the relationship between health and professional performance (1,2) . People use several resources at work; one group of professionals particularly use their voice to perform their work activities.…”

“…People use several resources at work; one group of professionals particularly use their voice to perform their work activities. They are the so-called voice professionals (1,2) ; teachers stand out in this group, as they have the highest prevalence of voice disorders related to working conditions and organization (2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7) . The literature reports that teachers are becoming ill as a result of factors that may influence or predispose the onset of early or late voice change.…”

“…Such factors include not only individual characteristics and general health conditions, but also environmental factors and work organization procedures, i.e. excessive voice demand, long working hours, accumulated activities, unsuitable acoustic environmental scenarios, ventilation and air quality, dissatisfaction with their job or remuneration, etc (1)(2)(3)5,6,8) . However, it should be emphasized that the coexistence of antecedent, concurrent and subsequent causes of a given voice disorder does not preclude the association between vocal disorders and teaching (1) , i.e., teachers are not to be "blamed" for their voice disorder.…”