Exploring the personal impact of cluttering: A scoping review of current evidence

Cluttering is a speech fluency disorder that is frequently undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. While existing research has focused mainly on diagnosis and treatment, little attention has been given to its impact on individuals. This scoping review aimed to present the available evidence on the personal impacts of cluttering.

Studies were included if they involved individuals with cluttering or caregivers of children with cluttering. The review focused on broad impacts across all cultures and locations. Grey literature, particularly in the form of podcasts, was emphasised.

Searches were conducted in Medline, CINAHL, Embase, ERIC, Web of Science, Scopus, and Google (for podcast series) between June and October 2024. Abstracts and full texts were screened by two reviewers, with a third checking a subset. Data extraction followed a deductive framework (Physical, Cognitive, Psychological, Communication, Social, Work, Education), with inductive analysis used to identify final themes and subthemes.

Of 174 titles retrieved, 128 were reviewed after removing duplicates. Following full-text screening, 27 records were included - 17 of which were podcasts. People with cluttering face a mix of physical, cognitive, and psychological challenges that affect communication and social interactions. Many fear speaking, avoid communication, experience social isolation and have a negative self-perception. In education and work, cluttering can hinder participation, performance, and career progression.

Cluttering affects many aspects of life. Speech Language Pathologists must address these broader impacts and help to foster supportive educational and home environments to improve outcomes.