Effectiveness of group voice therapy in teachers with hyperfunctional voice disorder

Prebil, Nataša (author), Kušar, Rozalija (author), Šereg Bahar, Maja (author), Hočevar-Boltežar, Irena (author)

Background/Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the short-term and long-term effectiveness of group voice therapy in changing vocal behaviour and improving voice quality (VQ) among teachers with hyperfunctional voice disorders (HFVD), using both subjective and objective measures. Methods: Thirty-one teachers participated in a structured group voice therapy programme. Participants underwent videoendostroboscopic evaluation of laryngeal morphology and function, perceptual assessment of voice, acoustic analysis of voice samples, and aerodynamic measurements of phonation. Patients’ self-assessment of VQ and its impact on quality of life were measured using a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and the Voice Handicap Index-30 (VHI-30). Evaluations were conducted at four time points: pre-therapy (T0), immediately post-therapy (T1), and at 3-month (T3) and 12-month (T12) follow-up visits. Results: Significant improvement was observed between T0 and T1 in perceptual voice evaluations: grade, roughness, asthenia, strain, loudness, fast speaking rate, as well as in neck muscle tension, shimmer, patients’ most harmful vocal behaviours, VHI-30 scores, patients VQ evaluation, and its impact on quality of life (all p < 0.05). Almost all parameters of subjective and objective voice assessment improved over the 12-month observation period, with the greatest improvement between T0 and T12 (all p < 0.05), indicating lasting reduced laryngeal tension and improved phonatory efficiency. Conclusions: Group voice therapy has been shown to be an effective treatment for teachers with HFVD, leading to significant and long-lasting improvements in perceptual, acoustic, and self-assessment outcomes. Therapy also promoted healthier vocal and lifestyle behaviours, supporting its role as a successful and cost-effective rehabilitation and prevention method for occupational voice disorders.

• Language: English
• Keywords: voice disorders, teacher, voice therapy, group therapy, treatment outcomes
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: MF - Faculty of Medicine
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2026
• Number of pages: 13 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 16, iss. 1
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-178089
• UDC: 616
• ISSN on article: 2039-7283
• DOI: 10.3390/clinpract16010016
• COBISS.SI-ID: 265017091
• Publication date in RUL: 19.01.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Clinics and practice
• Shortened title: Clinics practice
• Publisher: MDPI
• ISSN: 2039-7283
• COBISS.SI-ID: 519961881

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Projects

• Funder: Other - Other funder or multiple funders
• Funding programme: University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Cervicofacial Surgery
• Project number: 20230131
• Name: Primerjava različnih vrst obravnava pedagoških delavcev s funkcionalno glasovno motnjo