An experimental clinical trial of a cognitive-behavior therapy package for chronic stuttering.
OBJECTIVE
The aims of the present study were to (a) examine the rate of social phobia among adults who stutter, (b) study the effects of speech restructuring treatment on social anxiety, and (c) study the effects on anxiety and stuttering of a cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) package for social anxiety.


METHODS
Thirty-two adults with chronic stuttering were randomly allocated to receive either speech restructuring following a CBT package for social anxiety or speech restructuring alone. Data were obtained on a variety of speech and psychological measures at pre-treatment, post-CBT, post-speech restructuring, and 12 months follow-up.


RESULTS
Sixty percent of our cohort were diagnosed with social phobia. Speech restructuring treatment alone had no impact on the social phobia of our cohort at 12 months follow-up. At follow-up, participants who had received CBT showed no social phobia and greater improvements than control participants on a range of psychological measures of anxiety and avoidance. However, the CBT package made no difference to the speech outcomes of those with social phobia.


CONCLUSIONS
The CBT treatment was associated with significant and sustained improvements in psychological functioning but did not improve fluency.
Menzies
Ross G
RG
Australian Stuttering Research Centre, P.O. Box 170, Lidcombe NSW 1825, Australia.
O'Brian
Sue
S
Onslow
Mark
M
Packman
Ann
A
St Clare
Tamsen
T
Block
Susan
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013342:Stuttering / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*