A preliminary study of self-esteem, stigma, and disclosure in adolescents who stutter.
This study examined the self-esteem, perceived stigma, and disclosure practices of 48 adolescents who stutter divided into two age cohorts: younger (13, 14, and 15 years) and older (16, 17, and 18 years) adolescents. Results revealed that 41 (85%) of the participants scored within 1 S.D. from the mean on a standardized measure of self-esteem, indicative of positive self-esteem. Results also showed that stuttering did not present a stigmatizing condition for the majority (65%) of adolescents who stutter. However, 60% of participants indicated that they "rarely" or "never" discussed their stuttering. The younger adolescents perceived stuttering as a more negative and stigmatizing condition than older adolescents. Implications for understanding stuttering in adolescents are discussed.


OBJECTIVE
Readers will learn about and understand (a) the role of stigma, disclosure, and self-esteem in stuttering; (b) the methods used to evaluate stigma, disclosure, and self-esteem in adolescents; and (c) the similarities between adolescents who stutter and normative data on self-esteem and stigma scales.
Blood
Gordon W
GW
Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, 110 Moore Building, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA. f2x@psu.edu
Blood
Ingrid M
IM
Tellis
Glen M
GM
Gabel
Rodney M
RM
D000293:Adolescent; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011581:Psychological Tests; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D012649:Self Concept; D012650:Self Disclosure; D012944:Social Support; D013240:Stereotyping; D013342:Stuttering / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*