Self-Disclosure Experiences of Adults Who Stutter: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis

Self-disclosure describes the act of revealing personal information to another person. To date, researchers in the area of stuttering have primarily demonstrated the utility of self-disclosure through analysis of listener perceptions. This study explores the utility of informative self-disclosure use from the perspectives of adults who stutter with experience using this strategy over time and across contexts.

Twelve adults who stutter discussed their self-disclosure experiences in semistructured interviews. Interview transcripts were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis to produce themes reflecting the most salient aspects of self-disclosure experiences. Credibility was achieved through bracketing, investigator triangulation, and member checking.

Four superordinate themes reflecting experiences shared by all 12 participants were generated. Each superordinate theme contained two to three corresponding subthemes. The superordinate themes included cognitive relief, self-empowerment, social connection, and personalization. These findings reflect the positive impact of informative self-disclosure use on communication and quality of life.

Adults who stutter perceive informative self-disclosure to be an effective strategy that provides various benefits to the speaker, in addition to facilitating positive listener perceptions. Clinicians should encourage clients to self-disclose in an informative and personalized manner, provide opportunities for practice, and support clients in determining when and where it is most beneficial for them to implement this strategy.