Elife Barmak

Araştırmada dil bozukluğu olan çocuğa sahip annelerin anne bekçiliği algılarına ilişkin görüşlerinin saptanması amaçlanmıştır. Araştırmada nitel vaka inceleme yöntemi kullanılmıştır. Katılımcılar, ölçüt örnekleme yöntemi kullanılarak belirlenmiştir. Araştırmanın amacına yönelik belirlenen ölçütler; Ankara ilinde yaşıyor olma, dil bozukluğu tanısı almış ve terapi sürecine devam eden bir çocuğa sahip olma şeklindedir. Çalışmada araştırmacılar tarafından geliştirilen, dil bozukluğu olan çocuğa sahip 20 annenin anne bekçiliğine ilişkin görüşlerini belirlemeye yönelik “Yarı Yapılandırılmış Görüşme Formu” kullanılmıştır. Annelerle yüz yüze görüşmeler yapılmıştır. Veriler içerik analizi yöntemiyle analiz edilmiştir. Bu araştırmada, annelerin çocuk-baba etkileşimini kısıtlayan, kontrol eden, cesaret kıran, kolaylaştıran ve teşvik eden davranışları ortaya konmuştur. Babaların çocukların bakım ve eğitim süreçlerine katılımını artırmaya yönelik stratejilere ilişkin önemli bulgular elde edilmiştir. Bu araştırma sonuçlarına dayanarak, dil bozukluğu olan çocuklar ile baba katılımına yönelik kanıt temelli araştırmalar yapılması, annelerin anne bekçiliği davranışları konusunda farkındalıkların sağlanması ve bu noktada neler yapacağı konusunda ailelere eğitimlerin verilmesi ve babaların çocukların terapi süreci, bakımı ve etkileşimli oyun etkinlikleri konusunda teşvikinin sağlanması önerilmektedir.

Our study aimed to investigate mothers' maternal gatekeeping and fathers' perceptions of maternal gatekeeping in families with children diagnosed with Speech-Sound Disorder (SSD) and Developmental Language Disorder (DLD). "Maternal Gatekeeping (MG) Scale: Mother and Father Form for Preschool Period (3-6 Years) and Primary School Period (7-11 Years)" were used in the research. 100 mothers and 100 fathers of children with SSD and DLD in Ankara city were included in the study. Families with children with SSD and DLD showed high average scores for mothers' maternal gatekeeping and fathers' perceptions of maternal gatekeeping. If the parents of primary school children had a high school education or less, mothers' maternal gatekeeping scores and fathers' maternal gatekeeping perceptions were significantly higher. Fathers' perceptions of maternal gatekeeping were found to be higher depending on whether parents undertake to make their children do homework/activities. In the study, it was observed that maternal gatekeeping behaviors were affected in families with children diagnosed with DLD and SSD. It is necessary to increase the interaction with the fathers of children who benefit from language and speech therapy services and to include the fathers in the care and therapy process of the children.

Muscle tension dysphonia (MTD) is the most common functional voice disorder worldwide, yet evidence on the long-term effectiveness of voice therapy remains scarce. This study aimed to evaluate the sustainability of therapeutic outcomes in patients with MTD over a treatment-free period of at least 24 months. Fifty-five participants were included: 25 patients with MTD and 30 healthy controls. All patients with MTD underwent an eight-week structured voice therapy program consisting of vocal hygiene education, relaxation techniques, resonant voice therapy, and laryngeal manual therapy. Assessments included videolaryngoscopic examination, acoustic analysis (F0, jitter, shimmer, NHR, VTI, SPI), and self-reported measures (Voice Handicap Index-10, Vocal Tract Discomfort Scale). Evaluations were conducted pre-therapy, post-therapy, and at least 24 months after treatment completion. Statistical analyses were performed using independent samples t-tests, Mann-Whitney U, Wilcoxon signed ranks, and chi-square tests. At baseline, patients with MTD reported significantly higher VHI and VTDS scores compared to controls (p < 0.001), although acoustic parameters showed no significant differences. Following therapy, significant improvements were observed in jitter, shimmer, NHR, VTI, and all self-reported outcomes (p < 0.05). At the 24-month follow-up, most therapeutic gains were maintained, with no significant deterioration in acoustic parameters and sustained reductions in VHI and VTDS scores compared to baseline (p < 0.001). A subgroup of seven patients demonstrated resistance to therapy, with limited improvement in both early and long-term follow-up. Voice therapy yields significant and durable improvements in both acoustic and self-reported outcomes in MTD, with benefits sustained for at least 24 months after treatment. Early recognition of resistant cases is critical, as these individuals may require booster sessions or adjunctive therapeutic approaches.

This study aimed to evaluate stress and anxiety levels in Islamic clergymen with and without voice disorders. The study design was comparative and descriptive, and included 100 Islamic clergymen, of whom 47 (mean age: 42.00 ± 7.76 years) had a diagnosed voice disorder and 53 (mean age: 38.72 ± 10.18 years) did not. All participants read and digitally approved an informed consent form outlining the study purpose and their rights. Demographic and occupational data, including age, gender, years of professional experience, and medical history, were collected. The Voice Handicap Index for Islamic Clergymen (CVHI) and the Integrated Anxiety-Stress Scale (IASS) were administered via a web-based platform. Participants were classified into two groups based on the presence or absence of a voice disorder. Clergymen with voice disorders reported significantly higher stress levels on the IASS compared to those without voice disorders. Additionally, scores on the physical-functional and emotional subscales, as well as the total CVHI score, were significantly higher in the voice disorder group. A strong positive correlation was observed between IASS and CVHI scores. These findings indicate that Islamic clergymen with voice disorders experience greater difficulties in fulfilling their professional duties, with voice problems exerting a negative physical-functional and emotional impact. The results further suggest that these individuals are more likely to experience elevated stress and anxiety, possibly due to the occupational and personal consequences of impaired vocal performance in this population.

Purpose: This study addresses the critical need for early identification of speech and language disorders in Turkish primary school children by developing a novel teacher-reported screening tool and investigates its psychometric properties. Method: A new scale called Teacher-Reported Speech and Language Disorders Scale (TSLDS) was developed based on literature review and expert consultation. After the item generation process, the content validity of the items was assessed by a panel of experts. Next, the preliminary scale was administrated to a sample, evaluated, and revised. The final version of the scale was administered to 84 teachers of 980 children across 19 public schools. Construct validity, known-groups validity, test–retest reliability, internal consistency, and interrater reliability of the scale were examined. Results: Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis revealed a unidimensional structure with high factor loadings. The scale demonstrated strong internal consistency (α = .94), test–retest reliability ( r = .97), interrater reliability (Krippendorff α = .98), weighted kappa (κ _w = .95), and intraclass correlation ( R = .94). Significant group differences between children with and without speech-language disorders were observed (η ² = .77). Receiving operating characteristic analysis indicated excellent classification performance (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve = .99) and established a cutoff score of 5, with high sensitivity (91.7%) and specificity (90.9%). Conclusions: The TSLDS possesses high reliability and validity and effectively differentiates between typically developing children and children with speech-language disorders. This study offers a practical solution for early screening in schools, crucial for timely evaluation and referral to treatment.

Objectives: This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of teletherapy and face-to-face voice therapy in patients diagnosed with vocal fold nodules by evaluating acoustic, aerodynamic, perceptual, and patient-reported voice outcomes. Methods: A total of 40 patients with vocal fold nodules received either teletherapy or face-to-face voice therapy for a period of six to eight weeks. Voice assessments were performed before and after therapy and included videolaryngoscopic examination, acoustic voice analysis, aerodynamic voice measurements, auditory-perceptual voice evaluation, and patient-reported outcome measures related to voice handicap, voice-related quality of life, and reflux-related symptoms. Results: Both therapy groups demonstrated significant improvements in acoustic voice stability, perceptual voice quality, and patient-reported voice outcomes after treatment. No significant differences were observed between teletherapy and face-to-face therapy for most outcome measures. Patients receiving face-to-face therapy showed a greater change in fundamental frequency compared with those receiving teletherapy. Both therapy modalities were associated with significant reductions in voice-related handicap, improvements in voice-related quality of life, and decreased reflux-related symptoms. Conclusions: Teletherapy appears to be an effective and accessible alternative to face-to-face voice therapy for patients with vocal fold nodules. Further studies are warranted to investigate long-term outcomes and to explore integrated and hybrid treatment models in voice rehabilitation.

Aim: Professional voice users are individuals whose professional performance depends partially or entirely on effective voice use. This group includes occupations such as teachers, clergy members, singers, actors, and call center employees. The aim of this study was to evaluate the demographic characteristics and videolaryngostroboscopic diagnoses of professional voice users presenting with voice complaints in Turkey.Material and Methods: This retrospective study included 162 professional voice users evaluated at the voice outpatient clinics of two tertiary referral hospitals. Previously recorded clinical data of patients who underwent videolaryngostroboscopic examination for voice complaints were reviewed following ethics committee approval. Voice disorders were classified as organic, functional, or neurogenic based on videolaryngostroboscopic findings.Results: The mean age of the participants was 39.5 ± 11.0 years; 53.1% (n = 86) were male and 46.9% (n = 76) were female. Occupationally, 42.0% (n = 68) were teachers, 27.2% (n = 44) were clergy members, 26.5% (n = 43) were opera singers and musicians, and 4.3% (n = 7) were call center employees, actors, and lawyers. The most common diagnoses were bilateral vocal fold nodules (37.7%, n = 61), followed by muscle tension dysphonia (22.6%, n = 36) and vocal fold polyps (19.1%, n = 31). Other diagnoses included vocal fold cysts (6.8%, n = 11), Reinke’s edema (6.2%, n = 10), sulcus vocalis (3.7%, n = 6), and vocal fold paralysis (3.1%, n = 5).Conclusions: Videolaryngostroboscopic evaluation provides valuable clinical information for identifying underlying voice disorders in professional voice users. The findings of this study offer important clinic-based data reflecting the distribution of voice disorders among a broad range of professional voice users in Turkey and emphasize the importance of early diagnosis and preventive strategies in this special patient population.

Amaç: Araştırmada konuşma sesi bozukluğu (KSB) olan çocuklarda aile içi geçirilen zamanın kalitesine ilişkin annelerin görüşlerinin belirlenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Gereç ve Yöntemler: Nitel araştırma yöntemlerinden durum çalışma deseni kullanılmıştır. Araştırmaya Ankara ilinde özel eğitim ve rehabilitasyon merkezlerinde eğitime devam eden ve KSB tanısı almış beş-on yaş aralığında çocuğu olan 20 anne dahil edilmiştir. Araştırmacılar tarafından geliştirilen ve KSB’li çocukların annelerinin aile içi geçirilen zamanın kalitesine ilişkin görüşlerini belirlemeye yönelik uzman görüşü alınarak hazırlanan yarı yapılandırılmış Görüşme Formu kullanılmıştır. Bulgular: Anneler, çocuklarıyla ilgilenmek amacıyla özel bir zaman ayırmak için açık ve kapalı hava etkinliklerine yer verdiğini bildirmişlerdir. Anneler, çocukları ile geçirdikleri zamanlarda en fazla konuşma becerilerini desteklediğini, çocuklarıyla kaliteli zaman konusunda planlama yaptıklarını, süre oluşturmada ise zorlandığını bildirmişlerdir. Aile bağının kuvvetlenmesi için çoğunlukla tüm aile üyeleriyle ve özellikle babayla zaman geçirdikleri, boş zaman etkinliklerini temel sorumluluklarını yerine getirdikten sonra gerçekleştirdikleri ve aile üyelerinin durumuna ve iklim koşullarına göre karar verdikleri saptanmıştır. Anneler boş zaman etkinliklerindeki kontrol düzeylerinin orta/çok olduğunu ve çocuklarının bu boş zaman etkinliklerine karşı katılım düzeylerinin yüksek olduğunu, çocuğunun boş zaman etkinliklerinde duygu/düşüncelerini ifade etmesi için duygusal becerilerini daha çok desteklediklerini bildirmiştir. Sonuç: KSB olan çocuğu sahip ailelerde boş zaman faaliyetlerinin neler olduğu, gelişim alanlarına katkısı, planlanması, karar verme süreci ve karşılaşılan güçlüklerle ilgili ailelerin farkındalık ve bilgi düzeylerinin bilinmesi noktasında önemli ve derinlemesine bilgiler sağlamıştır.

Background: Teachers are professional voice users. Long‐term and intensive voice use, noisy environments, personal factors and occupational stress experienced by these professional voice users may negatively affect vocal health, along with psycho‐emotional factors such as depression. Aim: This cross‐sectional and comparative study aimed to compare depressive symptoms between teachers at risk for voice disorders and those without such risk and to examine the relationship between depressive symptoms and voice‐related disability levels among teachers at risk for voice disorders. Methods and Procedures: A total of 130 teachers were included in this study, comprising 64 participants in the study group and 66 in the control group. The Screening Index for Voice Disorder (SIVD‐TR) was used to identify teachers at risk for voice disorders. Based on the SIVD‐TR cutoff score, participants were divided into two groups: the study group (SIVD‐TR ≥ 4; at risk for voice disorders) and the control group (SIVD‐TR < 4; without risk). The Voice Handicap Index (VHI‐10) was used to assess voice‐related disability, and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES‐D) was employed to evaluate depressive symptoms and compare them between groups. Outcomes and Results: The mean years of professional experience and the average class size of the study group were higher than those of the control group, and this difference was found to be statistically significant ( p < 0.05). The mean VHI‐10 and CES‐D scores of the study group were significantly higher compared to the control group ( p < 0.001). Among the study group participants, there was a moderate and statistically significant positive correlation between SIVD‐TR and VHI‐10 scores ( r = 0.429, p < 0.001), as well as between VHI‐10 and CES‐D scores ( r = 0.413, p = 0.001). In addition, a weak but statistically significant positive correlation was observed between SIVD‐TR and CES‐D scores ( r = 0.261, p = 0.037). Conclusions and Implications: It was observed that teachers at risk for voice disorders had longer professional experience and taught in more crowded classrooms. Teachers at risk for voice disorders were found to have significantly higher levels of voice problems and depression symptoms compared to those not at risk. A relationship was identified between the level of voice‐related disability and depression symptoms in this population. Early intervention through screening programs may support teachers’ vocal health and psychological well‐being. Therefore, it is essential to consider the psycho‐emotional state of teachers at risk for voice disorders during the assessment and intervention processes. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: What is already known on the subject Teachers are more likely to experience voice problems compared to the general population due to high vocal demands, large class sizes, number of students, classroom noise, insufficient humidity levels and occupational stress. Voice problems can negatively affect teachers’ professional performance and quality of life. Additionally, it is known that psycho‐emotional conditions such as depression are associated with voice and voice disorders. What this paper adds to the existing knowledge This study compared depressive symptoms among teachers at risk for voice disorders and those without, and explored the relationship between depressive symptoms and levels of voice‐related disability among teachers at risk for voice disorders. Teachers at risk for voice disorders were found to have significantly higher levels of voice problems and depression symptoms compared to those not at risk. A relationship was identified between the level of voice‐related disability and depression symptoms in this population. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? The findings of this study indicate that clinical approaches to teachers’ vocal health should not be limited to vocal function alone. Professionals working in the field of voice should consider the psychological state of teachers presenting with voice complaints alongside their vocal functioning during assessment and intervention processes. This research provides an evidence‐based foundation to support multidisciplinary collaboration among speech and language therapists, psychological counsellors, psychiatrists, laryngologists and school administrators.