Social anxiety disorders among stutterers: effects of different variants

Abstract

Context: Development of social anxiety disorders (SADs) among stutterers was and is still poorly understood. Despite the absence of clear factors responsible for the emergence of such a disorder among the stuttering population, age, sex, and severity of stuttering remained among the major contributing factors. Aims: The aims of this study were to (a) determine the prevalence of SADs among stutterers and (b) discuss the relation between the age of stutterers, their sex, and the degree of stuttering severity and the presence of SAD. Settings and design: This study was carried out among the stuttering population attending the phoniatrics outpatient clinic. The data were collected retrospectively. Materials and methods: A total of 120 stutterers who underwent both phoniatrics and psychiatric assessments between January 2015 and January 2017 were included in this study. Assessment was performed utilizing the protocol of assessment of stuttering (including assessment of stuttering severity using Stuttering Severity Instrument for Children and Adults-3) as well as a structured psychiatric interview using Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview and Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview for children and adolescents and Structured Clinical Interview for DMS-IV (SCID) for the assessment of SAD. Results: A total of 120 patients (92 males and 28 females) underwent phoniatrics and psychiatric assessments. A total of 70 patients (46 males and 24 females) were assessed as a child group and 50 patients (46 males and four females) were assessed as an adolescents and adults group. SADs were obviously present in the adolescents and adults group rather than the child group. Its development is related to the older age of the stutterers and stuttering severity score. Conclusion: The co-morbidity of stuttering with SAD could be considered a specific sub-type of stuttering. Accordingly, this co-morbidity should be determined during the assessment and management of stuttering. Otherwise, it could markedly affect the course and prognosis of the stuttering condition.