The effect of cognitive behavioral therapy-based practices on social anxiety and stuttering severity in children who stutter

Abstract

Purpose: Children who stutter (CWS) often face communication challenges in social settings, which may lead to increased social anxiety and exacerbate stuttering severity. This pilot study examines the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)-based interventions in reducing social anxiety and stuttering severity among CWS. Methods: This pilot study employed a one-group pretest-posttest experimental design without a control group. Seventeen children aged 7-12 from a low socioeconomic area in Southeastern T & uuml;rkiye participated in an eight-week CBT-based program that included cognitive restructuring, exposure tasks, and homework. Data were analyzed using Linear Mixed Effects Models (LMM), with CBT intervention defined as a fixed effect and individual variation as a random effect. Separate LMM analyses were conducted for social anxiety and stuttering severity. Results: The LMM results revealed statistically significant reductions in both social anxiety and stuttering severity following the CBT-based intervention. Baseline levels of social anxiety and stuttering severity significantly predicted follow up outcomes, and the intervention led to meaningful decreases across both measures. Conclusion: As a pilot study, these results highlight the potential of CBT-based interventions to reduce both social anxiety and stuttering severity in CWS. These results point to the potential utility of individualized early intervention strategies, including psychiatric nursing practices, within clinical and educational contexts to address the multifaceted nature of developmental stuttering.