A Brief Version of the Unhelpful Thoughts and Beliefs About Stuttering Scales: The UTBAS-6.
A significant proportion of adults who stutter experience anxiety in social and speaking situations. The Unhelpful Thoughts and Beliefs About Stuttering (UTBAS) scales provide a comprehensive measure of the unhelpful cognitions associated with social anxiety in stuttering. However, reducing the number of UTBAS items would make it ideal as a brief screening instrument. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to develop a brief version of the full UTBAS scales.



The 66-item UTBAS scales were completed by 337 adults who stutter. Item reduction was used to determine a smaller set of items that could adequately reproduce the total score for each full UTBAS scale.



Item reduction resulted in the inclusion of six items for the brief UTBAS-6 scales. Decile ranges for scores on the brief UTBAS-6 provide reliable estimates of the full UTBAS scores and valuable clinical information about whether a psychological assessment is warranted.



The brief UTBAS-6 provides a reliable and efficient means of screening the unhelpful thoughts and beliefs associated with speech-related anxiety among adults who stutter. Referral for a psychological assessment is recommended in cases where the UTBAS total score falls in or above the fifth decile.
Centre for Emotional Health, Macquarie University, New South Wales, Australia.
Lisa
L
Iverach
Discipline of Behavioural and Social Sciences in Health, University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Rob
R
Heard
Australian Stuttering Research Centre, The University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Ross
R
Menzies
Australian Stuttering Research Centre, The University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Robyn
R
Lowe
Australian Stuttering Research Centre, The University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Sue
S
O'Brian
Australian Stuttering Research Centre, The University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Ann
A
Packman
Australian Stuttering Research Centre, The University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Mark
M
Onslow
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D001294:Attitude to Health; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D013342:Stuttering / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D013850:Thinking; D055815:Young Adult