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Subjective distress associated with chronic stuttering
Yvonne Tran1, Elaine Blumgart, Ashley Craig
1Rehabilitation Studies Unit, Sydney Medical School-Northern, The University of Sydney, PO Box 6, Ryde, NSW 1680, Australia. yvonne.tran@uts.edu.au
Journal of Fluency Disorders
|March 29, 2011
Summary
Adults who stutter experience significantly higher distress and negative mood states, including anxiety, depression, and paranoia, compared to non-stutterers. These findings highlight the broad psychological impact of stuttering.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Speech-Language Pathology
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Stuttering is a chronic speech disorder impacting fluency.
- Social anxiety is a known risk factor for adults who stutter.
- The influence of stuttering on other negative mood states remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate negative affectivity across various domains in adults who stutter.
- To compare psychological distress levels in adults who stutter versus non-stuttering controls.
- To explore the relationship between stuttering and a broad range of negative mood states.
Main Methods:
- Controlled study comparing 200 adults who stutter since childhood with 200 non-stuttering controls.
- Utilized the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) to assess psychological distress.
- Analyzed differences in negative affectivity across multiple dimensions.
Main Results:
- Adults who stutter reported significantly elevated distress and negative mood states compared to controls.
- Significant differences were observed in anxiety levels.
- Substantial differences were also found in somatization, interpersonal sensitivity, depressive mood, hostility, and paranoia.
Conclusions:
- Stuttering is associated with a broad spectrum of negative psychological outcomes beyond social anxiety.
- Findings suggest a significant impact of stuttering on overall mental well-being.
- Implications for enhanced stuttering management strategies are discussed.
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