Coprevalence of Anxiety and Depression With Spasmodic Dysphonia: A Case-Control Study

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Laura J. White, Emory University; Edie Hapner, Emory University; Adam M Klein, Emory University; John M DelGaudio, Emory University; John Hanfelt, Emory University; Hyder A Jinnah, Emory University; Michael Johns, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2012-09-01
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Publication Version: Author Accepted Manuscript (After Peer Review)
• Copyright Statement: © 2012 The Voice Foundation.
• License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jvoice.2011.08.011
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Journal of Voice
• ISSN: 0892-1997
• Volume: 26
• Issue: 5
• Start Page: 667.e1
• End Page: 667.e6
• Grant/Funding Information: Funding support for this project has been provided by The Dystonia Coalition, which is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Rare Disease Clinical Research Network through the NIH Office of Rare Diseases Research (NS067501); and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.; This project is also supported in part by PHS Grant Jul1RR125008, KL2 RR025009, or TL1 RR025010 from the Clinical and Translational Science Award program, National Center for Research Resources, NIH.
• Keywords: GENERAL-POPULATION; DISORDERS; Anxiety; PHYSICAL ILLNESS; Science & Technology; SPASTIC DYSPHONIA; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; Depression; SAMPLE; CHRONIC MEDICAL CONDITIONS; Audiology & Speech-Language Pathology; Otorhinolaryngology; COMORBIDITY; Spasmodic dysphonia
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Mental Health; Health Sciences, Speech Pathology; Biology, Neuroscience

Abstract

Introduction: There is evidence supporting an association between depression and anxiety in patients with chronic disease. Spasmodic dysphonia (SD) is a chronic, incurable, and disabling voice disorder. Reported rates of depression and anxiety in SD range from 7.1% to 72%, with a maximum number of 18 patients. The goal of this study was to define the coprevalence of depression and anxiety with SD. Materials and Methods: A single-institution case-control study was performed from May to July 2010. Consecutive patients with SD and benign voice disorders were enrolled prospectively. On enrollment, patients were asked to fill out a questionnaire that reviewed the duration of the voice disorder and personal history of anxiety and depression, including current and lifetime diagnosis. Results: One hundred forty-six controls with benign voice disorders and 128 patients with SD were enrolled. Patients with SD were no more likely to be diagnosed with depression or anxiety than those of the control group (odds ratio [OR] = 0.985, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.59-1.63; and OR = 1.314; 95% CI = 0.75-2.3, respectively). Additionally, duration of disease was a risk factor for depression in both the SD group and the control group, and the association was not significantly different between groups. Conclusion: Patients with SD were no more likely to have depression or anxiety than those with other voice disorders. It is important for otolaryngologists to be aware of the increased rates of depression in patients diagnosed with chronic diseases, including voice disorders, and to refer to a psychiatrist when appropriate.