Affective symptoms and swallow‐specific quality of life in total laryngectomy patients

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of clinically relevant affective symptoms and level of swallow‐specific quality of life (QoL) in dysphagic patients with total laryngectomy (TL) and to explore the relationship between affective symptoms and swallow‐specific QoL. METHODS: Thirty‐five TL patients completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the MD Anderson Dysphagia Inventory (MDADI). Student's t test and linear regression were used. RESULTS: Eight (23%) patients showed clinically relevant symptoms of anxiety, 8 (23%) of depression, and 11 (31%) showed either one. These groups had significantly lower mean MDADI scores. One‐point increase in HADS‐anxiety or HADS‐depression subscale score corresponds with a decrease of 2.7 or 3.0 points, on average, respectively, of the MDADI total score. CONCLUSIONS: Clinically relevant affective symptoms were present in approximately one‐third of the TL patients. These preliminary results show that increased affective symptom scores correlate with a decreased swallow‐specific QoL.