Incidence of Common Mental Disorders in Teachers: Is There a Relationship with Voice Disorders?

Summary Objective This study aims to evaluate the risk factors associated with the incidence of common mental disorders (CMD) in teachers, particularly the possible relationship with voice disorders. Material and Methods A longitudinal quantitative study of 469 teachers of the municipal schools of Pelotas in Brazil was conducted over three years after a baseline interview. The symptoms of CMD were assessed with the Self-Reporting Questionnaire 20 items (SRQ-20 scale) and the voice disorder was assessed with the Voice Handicap Index Protocol with cutoff of 19 points. A bivariate analysis was performed using Poisson regression to verify the difference in proportion of the incidence of CMD in the different categories of independent variables. Results The incidence of CMD was 18% (N = 265). In the bivariate analysis, the risk for CMD was 77% higher for teachers who presented with a voice disorder (RR 1.77 95% CI 1.04 to 3.03). Conclusions Teachers who reported a voice disorder had an increased risk of developing a CMD.