Situational factors influencing social anxiety in treatment-seeking adults who stutter: An exploratory factor analysis

Abstract

Purpose: Adults who stutter (AWS) often show high levels of social anxiety. Stuttering is a speech disorder, making the latent factors influencing social anxiety potentially different from those in individuals with a social anxiety disorder (SAD) or general populations. This study aims to examine the situational factors influencing social anxiety in AWS.Methods: We analyzed data of 351 AWS using the fear/anxiety scale in the Japanese self-report version of the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS). We conducted exploratory factor analysis and investigated subscale scores.Results: We extracted five factors: (i) eating, drinking, and party, (ii) telephone, (iii) observation or non-speech, (iv) interaction with strangers, and (v) public speaking. The factor for telephone was newly extracted, and anxiety in telephone situations was poorly explained by the total score of fear/anxiety of the LSAS. On the other hand, the other four factors are similar to those previously extracted in individuals with SAD and general populations, and more than 60% of the variance of the subscale constructs was explained by the total score. Preliminary comparisons revealed that AWS had saliently higher anxiety in telephone situations and lower anxiety in observation or non-speech situations than individuals with anxiety disorders and Japanese university students.Conclusions: The factor for telephone was uniquely extracted in AWS, and the severity of anxiety in telephone situations was not explained well by the overall severity of social anxiety as a whole. Telephone situations have specific impacts on social anxiety in AWS.

Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy for treating social anxiety: A scoping review of treatment designs and adaptation to stuttering

“…VRET targeting general social fears will be more appropriate for the majority of PWS. Findings from a recent preprint suggest that, besides speaking on the phone, situational factors influencing social anxiety were largely similar in PWS and fluent speakers, including those with SAD (75). Findings from another preprint also showed that general speech-related fears are common across PWS (76).…”

“…However, there are some situational factors that should be considered when designing VRET protocols. Findings from both of the above preprints suggest that fear of speaking on the telephone is particularly elevated amongst PWS and may constitute a distinguishable sub-type of social anxiety amongst PWS (75,76). A telephone-only treatment may therefore be appropriate for some PWS.…”

Virtual reality exposure therapy for reducing social anxiety in stuttering: A randomized controlled pilot trial

“…Participants were recruited through online adverts on the British Stammering Association's website (Stamma.org), and through local stuttering groups across the United Kingdom. Inclusion criteria were (1) Person who stutters, (2) English-speaking, (3) United Kingdom resident, (4) age over 18, (5) in possession of a smartphone (iPhone/Android) and headphones/earphones, (6) no previous participation in the feasibility trial or focus groups for same treatment, (7) no current experience of psychosis/ schizophrenia/epilepsy/dementia/amnesia/bipolar disorder/ intellectual disability/autism spectrum disorder, (8) no current use of tranquilizers or change in dosage of antidepressants in the past 6 weeks, (9) no current suicidal ideation, (10) no alcohol/substance dependence, (11) no severe cognitive impairment, (12) no treatment for social anxiety within the last year, (13) not participating in any other psychotherapeutic treatments during the study, and (14) no experience of severe cyber/motion-sickness. All participants who completed the pre-and post-treatment assessments (or equivalent for waitlist) received a £10 Amazon evoucher.…”

“…As such, anxiety is embedded in speech and revolves around fears of others’ negative reactions to stuttering ( 9 ). Speaking on the telephone is one of the most commonly reported fears, to the extent that it may constitute its own sub-type of social anxiety among PWS ( 10 , 11 ). Avoidance of certain words and situations is also a core theme in the lived experience of stuttering ( 12 ).…”

Virtual reality exposure therapy for reducing social anxiety in stuttering: A randomized controlled pilot trial

“…As such, anxiety is embedded in speech and revolves around fears of others' negative reactions to stuttering (9). Speaking on the telephone is one of the most commonly reported fears, to the extent that it may constitute its own sub-type of social anxiety among PWS (10,11). Avoidance of certain words and situations is also a core theme in the lived experience of stuttering (12).…”