Anxiety, Depression, and Other Factors Associated With Voice Handicaps in Active Older People During the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Angelina Travassos de Queiróz Coutinho, Vanessa de Lima Silva, Maria Eduarda Farias da Silva and 5 others
PMID 38811306WHAT IT FOUND
Among 91 active older adults surveyed during the pandemic, those with high trait anxiety were more likely to report voice handicaps than those with low anxiety.
Older age was also linked to greater voice handicap. Most participants reported low anxiety and no voice handicap.
Key findings
01In the multivariate analysis, older adults with higher trait anxiety were more likely to have voice handicaps than those with low trait anxiety.
02Age was associated with voice handicap, with older subjects being more likely to report voice problems than younger ones.
03Most participants did not report common mental disorders, had low trait anxiety, had low state anxiety, and only a small minority had indications of depression.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study used a cross-sectional design, so it cannot establish causation between anxiety/age and voice handicap. The sample consisted of 'active' older adults from a specific healthcare unit, which may not represent the general older population. Data collection was remote due to the pandemic, which may have affected the accuracy or completeness of responses. The study excluded individuals with existing cognitive impairments or those already receiving therapy, limiting generalizability to more complex cases.
Declared interests
The authors report no conflict of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that treating anxiety will directly improve voice handicap. This cross-sectional study shows an association between high trait anxiety and reported voice handicap in active older adults, but it does not prove that anxiety causes voice problems or that reducing anxiety will resolve them.
Summarised by AI from the full paper, without a clinician reviewing it. Check it against the source before it changes what you do. Read it on PubMed →