title: Trait and social anxiety in adults with chronic stuttering: conclusions following meta-analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The relationship between chronic stuttering and anxiety has been a matter of some debate over the past two decades, with a major emphasis of research focused on examining whether people who stutter have abnormally elevated levels of trait or social anxiety. The major goal of this paper was to perform a systematic literature review and perform meta-analyses on research that has assessed (i) trait anxiety and (ii) social anxiety, in adults who stutter.
  
  
  METHODS
  Only studies that met strict inclusion criteria were selected for the meta-analyses. Two meta-analyses were conducted, the first for trait anxiety, and the second for social anxiety. Meta-analysis combines statistically the results of selected studies that meet strict design criteria, thereby clarifying the size of differences in trait and social anxiety between adults who stutter and adults who do not stutter.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Meta-analytic results confirmed that adults with chronic stuttering do have substantially elevated trait and social anxiety. The overall effect size for trait and social anxiety was calculated to be .57 and .82, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Trait and social anxiety are definite problems for many adults who stutter. Clinical implications of these findings for the diagnosis and treatment of adult who stutter are discussed.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The reader will be able to: (a) describe the process of conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis; (b) describe the possible impact of publication bias on meta-analysis results; (c) explain the impact of a chronic disorder like stuttering on levels of trait anxiety; (d) explain the impact of stuttering on levels of social anxiety; (e) interpret the results of meta-analysis when applied to differences in anxiety between adult people who stutter and those who do not stutter; and (f) describe implications for fluency enhancing treatments.
authors.affiliation: Rehabilitation Studies Unit, Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Level 12 Kolling Building, RNSH, St Leonards, NSW 2065, Australia. Electronic address: a.craig@sydney.edu.au.
authors.forename: Ashley
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Craig
authors.affiliation: Rehabilitation Studies Unit, Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Level 12 Kolling Building, RNSH, St Leonards, NSW 2065, Australia.
authors.forename: Yvonne
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tran
mesh_terms: D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology*; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D013342:Stuttering / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Chronic disorder; Meta-analyses; Social anxiety; Stuttering; Trait anxiety