Mitsuyoshi Shunji, Nakamura Mitsuteru, Omiya Yasuhiro, Shinohara Shuji, Hagiwara Naoki, Tokuno Shinichi
Verbal Analysis of Pathophysiology, Room 208 Molecular and Life Innovation Building, The University of Tokyo Hospital, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8655 Japan.
PST Inc., Yokohama, Japan.
Disaster Mil Med. 2017 Apr 8;3:4. doi: 10.1186/s40696-017-0032-0. eCollection 2017.
Disaster relief personnel tend to be exposed to excessive stress, which can be a cause of mental disorders. To prevent from mental disorders, frequent assessment of mental status is important. This pilot study aimed to examine feasibility of stress assessment using vocal affect display (VAD) indices as calculated by our proposed algorithms in a situation of comparison between different durations of stay in stricken area as disaster relief operation, which is an environment highly likely to induce stress.
We used Sensibility Technology (ST) software to analyze VAD from voices of participants exposed to extreme stress for either long or short durations, and we proposed algorithms for indices of low VAD (VAD-L), high VAD (VAD-H), and VAD ratio (VAD-R), calculated from the intensity of emotions as measured by voice emotion analysis. As a preliminary validation, 12 members of Japan Self-Defense Forces dispatched overseas for long (3 months or more) or short (about a week) durations were asked to record their voices saying 11 phrases repeatedly across 6 days during their dispatch.
In the validation, the two groups showed an inverse relationship in VAD-L and VAD-H, in that long durations in disaster zones resulted in higher values of both VAD-L and VAD-R, and lower values of VAD-H, compared with short durations. Interestingly, phrases produced varied results in terms of group differences and VAD indices, demonstrating the sensitivity of the ST.
A comparison of the values obtained for the different groups of subjects clarified that there were tendencies of the VAD-L, VAD-H, and VAD-R indices observed for each group of participants. The results suggest the possibility of using ST software in the measurement of affective aspects related to mental health from vocal behavior.
救灾人员往往面临过度压力，这可能导致精神障碍。为预防精神障碍，频繁评估精神状态很重要。这项试点研究旨在检验在作为救灾行动的受灾地区不同停留时长的比较情境中，使用我们提出的算法计算的声音情感显示（VAD）指标进行压力评估的可行性，这是一个极有可能诱发压力的环境。
我们使用情感技术（ST）软件分析长时间或短时间暴露于极端压力下的参与者声音中的VAD，并提出了低VAD（VAD-L）、高VAD（VAD-H）和VAD比率（VAD-R）指标的算法，这些指标是根据语音情感分析测量的情感强度计算得出的。作为初步验证，12名被派往海外长期（3个月或更长时间）或短期（约一周）的日本自卫队成员被要求在派遣期间的6天内反复录制11个短语的声音。
在验证过程中，两组在VAD-L和VAD-H方面呈现反比关系，即与短时间相比，在灾区停留较长时间导致VAD-L和VAD-R值更高，而VAD-H值更低。有趣的是，不同短语在组间差异和VAD指标方面产生了不同结果，证明了ST的敏感性。
对不同组受试者获得的值进行比较表明，每组参与者的VAD-L、VAD-H和VAD-R指标存在一定趋势。结果表明，有可能使用ST软件从语音行为测量与心理健康相关的情感方面。
