Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether there are elevated symptoms of anxiety or depression in children and adolescents (aged 2–18 years) who stutter, and to identify potential moderators of increased symptom severity. Method: We conducted a preregistered systematic review of databases and gray literature; 13 articles met criteria for inclusion. A meta-analysis using robust variance estimation was conducted with 11 cohort studies comparing symptoms of anxiety in children and adolescents who do and do not stutter. Twenty-six effect sizes from 11 studies contributed to the summary effect size for anxiety symptoms (851 participants). Meta-analysis of depression outcomes was not possible due to the small number of studies. Results: The summary effect size indicates that children and adolescents who stutter present with increased anxiety symptoms ( g = 0.42) compared with nonstuttering peers. There were insufficient studies to robustly analyze depression symptoms, and qualitative review is provided. No significant between-groups differences were reported in any of the depression studies. Conclusions: Preliminary evidence indicates elevated symptoms of anxiety in some children and adolescents who stutter relative to peers. There was a tendency toward higher depression scores in this population, although reported between-groups differences did not reach statistical significance. These findings require replication in larger, preferably longitudinal studies that consider factors that may moderate risk. Nevertheless, our findings highlight a need for careful monitoring of mental health and well-being in young people who stutter.

Purpose: Children and adolescents who stutter may be at risk of elevated anxiety and depression symptoms, although studies have indicated variability in reported internalizing symptoms in this population. This study considers the association between anxiety and depression symptoms and stuttering, as well as child, family, and contextual factors that may affect this association. Method: Thirty-five school-age children who stutter completed the Revised Children's Anxiety and Depression Scale–Short Version. We fitted regression models to examine the association between anxiety and depression symptoms with bullying, stuttering severity, family history of adverse mental health, and age in children who stutter. Results: Family history of adverse mental health was found to significantly predict anxiety and depression scores. Age also predicted depression scores, with older children reporting higher scores. Conclusions: Family history of adverse mental health is associated with higher self-reported internalizing symptoms in children who stutter. The interaction between child, family, and contextual factors may change with age, and this requires further exploration in larger, longitudinal studies. The association between bullying and anxiety scores indicates the importance of anti-bullying initiatives in promoting psychosocial development in school-age children who stutter. This study also highlights the contribution of known risk factors for mental health, such as family history, to variability in symptom reporting.

Purpose: Children who stammer may be at increased risk of anxiety compared to non-stammering peers. Although anxiety and depression commonly co-occur, there are few studies evaluating the association between childhood stammering and depression symptoms. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether children who do and do not stammer differ significantly in anxiety and depression symptoms, and the extent to which this association may vary depending on age and on the respondent. Methods: Forty-six children who stammer (8 – 15 years) and 46 children who do not stammer (10 – 14 years) and their parents, completed the Revised Children’s Anxiety & Depression Scale (RCADS-25). To determine whether groups differed significantly on anxiety and depression subscale scores, multiple regression models were fitted to the data, accounting for group differences in age and socio-economic status (SES). Intra-class correlation coefficients were calculated to assess parent-child agreement on each subscale.Results: Self-reported anxiety and depression symptoms increased with age in the stammering group but not in the comparison group. After accounting for age and SES, parents reported significantly higher anxiety, but not depression, symptoms for children who stammer. However, very few participants scored above clinical threshold on either subscale. Good agreement was found between parent- and child-reported symptom scores for the stammering group. Comparison of two community samples found no differences in likelihood of scoring above clinical threshold for anxiety or depression.Conclusion: Children who stammer may experience increasing anxiety and depression symptoms with age, although these findings need replication in larger, longitudinal studies. These findings underline the need for further research into internalising symptoms in children who stammer across development, and consideration of factors that may be associated with elevated risk for this population.