Investigation of Behavioral and Emotional Characteristics of Children With Vocal Nodules

Abstract

Objective: Although physiological and medical factors play a role in the formation of vocal nodules (VNs), in recent years, personality tendencies and related behavioral characteristics have been reported to be among the contributing factors. In this study, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) was used to compare the emotional and behavioral problems of children with VNs and healthy children with normal voices. Methods: In this descriptive comparative study, 55 parents of children aged 4–17 years who presented to the Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) clinic with dysphonia, underwent videolaryngostroboscopic imaging and were diagnosed with VN and 55 parents of healthy children who presented to the ENT clinic in the same period and were not diagnosed with any voice disorder participated. Parents completed the SDQ to screen for behavioral and emotional problems. Results: The study included 55 children with VN (37 boys and 18 girls) and 55 healthy children with normal voice (30 boys and 25 girls). The two groups did not differ significantly in terms of age (P > 0.05). The groups differed statistically significantly in terms of emotional, behavioral problems, attention deficit and hyperactivity, peer problems, social behaviors subscales and total difficulty score (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The findings of the study show that children with VN should be evaluated from a behavioral perspective. It is thought that the inclusion of the behavioral perspective in the evaluation process may be useful for more comprehensive and accurate planning of the intervention program. © 2025 The Voice Foundation