Quality of life of patients after total laryngectomy: the struggle against stigmatization and social exclusion using speech synthesis.

In this article, we deal with the problem of potential stigmatization and social exclusion of people that have voice/speech problems due to neck cancer, especially those who have lost their voice because of total laryngectomy, and we analyze how this potential stigmatization could be alleviated by personalized speech synthesis. We used a mixed-method approach, consisting of quality of life questionnaires and in-depth semi-structured interviews, in order to provide more generalizable as well as rich information. We found out that people with speech problems feel depressed because of their health status and anxiety during social interactions, as they think that other people perceive them as abnormal, or they directly experience symbolic violence. For overcoming these negative feelings, the crucial factors are family relationships and maintaining employment. In both factors, speech synthesis can help significantly. Implications for rehabilitation Personalized speech synthesis can help considerably to people with severe voice impairment in their (re)integration into society. Where possible and appropriate, personalized speech synthesis should be offered as an option to "traditional" voice substitutions.