Adaptation and Validation of the Voice Catastrophization Index in Kannada (VCI-KA)

Individuals with dysphonia frequently have cognitive-emotional reactions such as catastrophization, which is characterized by excessively pessimistic thoughts, rumination, helplessness, and exaggerated symptoms. The Voice Catastrophization Index (VCI) is a patient-reported outcome measure designed to assess these psychological reactions.

To adapt the Voice Catastrophization Index into Kannada and evaluate the psychometric properties of the Kannada version of the Voice Catastrophization Index (VCI-KA).

A validation study.

The VCI was adapted into Kannada and administered to 70 patients with voice disorders (37 males and 33 females), with a mean age of 47.7 ± 15.6 years, and to 70 age- and gender-matched participants with a clinically normal voice. The Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) was used to measure test-retest reliability. Cronbach's alpha coefficients for the domains of helplessness, rumination, and magnification were used to assess internal consistency. Convergent validity was assessed by correlating the scores of VCI-KA with the Kannada Voice-Related Quality of Life Questionnaire (VRQOL-K). The Mann-Whitney U test was used to evaluate known-group validity.

The VCI-KA demonstrated moderate-to-good test-retest reliability, with ICC values ranging from 0.614 to 0.798 and an overall ICC of 0.685. Cronbach's alpha scores for helplessness, rumination, and magnification were 0.931, 0.884, and 0.798, respectively, indicating strong internal consistency across domains. Results also showed a statistically significant, moderately positive association between VCI-KA and VRQOL ratings (r = 0.545, P < 0.01), indicating acceptable convergent validity. Further, VCI-KA scores differed significantly between participants in the two groups, indicating good known-group validity.

The VCI-KA demonstrates satisfactory validity, reliability, and diagnostic accuracy for assessing voice-related catastrophization in the Kannada-speaking clinical sample. While the present findings support the psychometric properties of the VCI-KA, future longitudinal studies are essential to evaluate its sensitivity to change (responsiveness) following voice therapy.