The significance of personality traits in teachers with voice problems

I. Thielens, K. Geusens, G. Thomas, F. I.C.R.S. de Jong

Type-D personality hasbeen proven to be related to bad prognosis in cardiac disease. The aim of this study is to investigate if Type-D personality teachers with voice problems have different grade of psychoneuroticism and coping strategies, compared to their non Type-D counterparts. In this cross sectional study among 61 female Belgium primary school teachers a general voice questionnaire, Type-D Scale-16 (DS16), Symptom check List (SCL-90) and Utrecht Coping List (UCL) were used. Significant higher scoresofthe totalSCL-90and the subscalesdepression, insufficiency of thinking and acting, distrust and interpersonal sensitivity, hostility andsleep disturbancewere found inType-D teachers with voice complaints compared to non-type-D teachers(p<0.05).Non Type-D teachers with voice complaints have more active coping strategies compared to their Type-D colleagues (p<0.05).This study demonstrates that Type-D personality is related to a higher degree of psychoneuroticism and less active coping strategies in teachers with voice complaints. Therefore, personality traits have to be taken into consideration in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of voice problems.

I. Thielens*, K. Geusens*,G. Thomas**, F. I.C.R.S. de Jong*
*Dep. ENT, Head and Neck Surgery - Lab. Exp. ORL, K.U.Leuven, Belgium
**Department of ORL, Radboud University Medical Centre Nijmegen, The Netherlands
inge.thielens@gmail.com
inge.thielens@student.kuleuven.be