Anxiety Profile in Children and Adolescents with Stuttering

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Phoniatrics Unit, Otorhinolaryngology Department, College of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt/ Department of Otorhinolaryngology & Allied Sciences, Dr. Soliman Fakeeh Hospital, Jeddah, KSA

2 Research Chair of Voice, Swallowing, and Communication Disorders, ENT Department, College of Medicine / King Saud University, 4Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, King Saud University, Riyadh, KSA

3 Phoniatrics Unit, Otorhinolaryngology Department, College of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt

4 Unit of Phoniatrics , Otorhinolaryngology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt

Abstract

Objectives: To compare anxiety levels in children and adolescents who stutter with non-stuttering subjects.
Methods: The study included 35 stuttering patients and 35 age and gender-matched control group. Both groups underwent subjective assessment of anxiety using Taylor anxiety scale. Stuttering severity was assessed in the patients’ group using the Arabic Stuttering Severity Instrument (A-SSI).
Results: Stuttering group showed significantly higher anxiety levels than control subjects (p < 0.0001). Taylor Anxiety scale results were significantly higher (P<0.05) in female stuttering patients than male patients. Anxiety scores showed a statistically significant negative correlation with age of onset of stuttering (r=-0.48, p = 0.002) and a statistically significant positive correlation with duration of stuttering (r= 0.329, p= 0.046).
Conclusion: Children and adolescents with stuttering have significantly higher anxiety levels compared to control subjects. High anxiety scores were significantly related to early onset and longer duration of stuttering.

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