Anxiety and depression in spasmodic dysphonia patients

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Psychiatry
• Otolaryngology

Background:

• Spasmodic dysphonia (SD) is a neurological voice disorder.
• Co-morbid anxiety and depression rates in SD patients vary widely in existing literature.
• Understanding mood disorder prevalence and risk factors in SD is crucial for comprehensive patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of anxiety and depression in patients with spasmodic dysphonia.
• To identify demographic and psychological risk factors associated with anxiety and depression in SD patients.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective study of 142 SD patients undergoing botulinum toxin injections.
• Data collected included demographics, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Voice Handicap Index-10 (VHI-10), General Self-Efficacy (GSES), Disease Specific Self-Efficacy (DSSE), and Consensus Auditory Perceptual Evaluation of Voice (CAPE-V).
• Linear regression models were used to identify risk factors for anxiety and depression.

Main Results:

• The prevalence of anxiety symptoms was 13.4% and depression symptoms was 2.8%.
• Anxiety risk factors included younger age, female gender, lower GSES, and higher VHI-10 scores.
• Lower DSSE was the primary risk factor identified for depressive symptoms.

Conclusions:

• The observed prevalence of anxiety and depression in SD patients was lower than previously reported.
• Age, gender, general self-efficacy, and vocal handicap are associated with anxiety in SD.
• Disease-specific self-efficacy is a key factor in depression among SD patients.