A comparative study of psychological aspects of recurring and non-recurring functional aphonias

The present study is based on the hypothesis that patients with recurrent attacks of aphonia differ from those with non-recurring attacks of aphonia in their anxiety levels, social assertiveness and stress-coping strategies. A comparison was made between 21 women with recurring aphonia and 19 women with non-recurring aphonia with respect to these three factors. Seventeen healthy women served as volunteers. Compared to patients with non-recurring aphonias, patients with recurring aphonias exhibited a significantly higher level of anxiety and significantly more respect for social norms and codes of propriety. Their coping was also characterized by a higher escape tendency. Patients with recurring aphonias also reported a significantly higher number of problems in their private lives within the preceding 5-year period. In therapy patients should be encouraged to reflect upon a possible rigidity toward social norms and better understand fears regarding conflicts in personal relationships.