The Utility of Cinematherapy for Stuttering Intervention: An Exploratory Study

Area of Science:

• Speech and Language Therapy
• Psychology
• Mental Health

Background:

• Stuttering significantly impacts adults' affective and cognitive well-being.
• Traditional therapies may benefit from adjunctive approaches.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the feasibility and benefits of cinematherapy for adults who stutter.
• To assess cinematherapy's impact on affective and cognitive reactions to stuttering.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods design was employed.
• Four adult clients participated in a 4-week cinematherapy program.
• Quantitative (questionnaires) and qualitative (interviews) data were collected.

Main Results:

• Clients reported themes of empowerment, self-reflection, belonging, and reduced self-stigma.
• Clinically significant decreases in negative thoughts and stuttering-related distress were observed.
• Cinematherapy was well-received and perceived positively by participants.

Conclusions:

• Cinematherapy shows promise as an effective adjuvant therapy for adults who stutter.
• Preliminary findings support larger clinical trials to further validate its efficacy.