Self-disclosure of stuttering: A systematic review

Self-disclosure of stuttering occurs when people who stutter (PWS) actively acknowledge to others that they stutter. Although the benefits of self-disclosure have been examined for three decades, several factors have been identified that may mediate its impact. The purpose of this study was to (a) conduct a systematic review of the literature on self-disclosure of stuttering, and (b) summarize the effects of self-disclosure to examine potential factors influencing its impact.

A systematic review of studies examining self-disclosure of stuttering was conducted. Studies published before October 2023 were identified within two databases: (1) EBSCO, including Academic Search Complete, APA PsycINFO, Cinahl, Communication and Mass Media Complete, Education Source, ERIC, Medline; and (2) PubMed. Speaker- and observer-based outcome measures were examined with respect to six factors known or suspected to mediate the effects of self-disclosure: (1) gender of speaker/observer, (2) type of disclosure (i.e., apologetic, non-apologetic), (3) loci of disclosure, (4) age of speaker and/or observer, (5) frequency and/or severity of stuttering, and (6) familiarity with a person who stutters.

A total of 18 quantitative studies were included in the systematic review. Findings indicate an overall favorable impact of self-disclosure (15 of 18 studies [83.3%]). Non-apologetic self-disclosure statements, when included as a condition, were viewed more favorably than apologetic and/or no disclosure (12 of 13 studies [92.3%]). Gender effects varied across studies. Loci, age, frequency/severity effects, and familiarity with a person who stutters were infrequently examined across studies.

Findings support PWS using non-apologetic self-disclosure to mitigate stereotype threat.