Prevalence of anxiety disorders among adults seeking speech therapy for stuttering.

Abstract

The present study explored the prevalence of anxiety disorders among adults seeking speech therapy for stuttering. Employing a matched case-control design, participants included 92 adults seeking treatment for stuttering, and 920 age- and gender-matched controls from the Australian National Survey of Mental Health and Well-being. A conditional logistic regression model was used to estimate odds ratios for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) and International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) anxiety disorders. Compared with matched controls, the stuttering group had six- to seven-fold increased odds of meeting a 12-month diagnosis of any DSM-IV or ICD-10 anxiety disorder. In terms of 12-month prevalence, they also had 16- to 34-fold increased odds of meeting criteria for DSM-IV or ICD-10 social phobia, four-fold increased odds of meeting criteria for DSM-IV generalized anxiety disorder, and six-fold increased odds of meeting criteria for ICD-10 panic disorder. Overall, stuttering appears to be associated with a dramatically heightened risk of a range of anxiety disorders.

• Authors: Lisa Iverach, Sue O'Brian, Mark Jones, Susan Block, Michelle Lincoln, Elisabeth Harrison, Sally Hewat, Ross G Menzies, Ann Packman, Mark Onslow
• Journal: Journal of anxiety disorders (J Anxiety Disord) Vol. 23 Issue 7 Pg. 928-34 (Oct 2009) ISSN: 1873-7897 [Electronic] Netherlands
• PMID: 19595561 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Topics

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Aged
• Anxiety Disorders (classification, diagnosis, epidemiology, psychology)
• Case-Control Studies
• Comorbidity
• Cross-Sectional Studies
• Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
• Fear
• Female
• Humans
• International Classification of Diseases
• Internet
• Interview, Psychological
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Odds Ratio
• Panic Disorder (classification, diagnosis, epidemiology, psychology)
• Personality Inventory
• Prejudice
• Social Desirability
• Speech Therapy (psychology, statistics & numerical data)
• Stuttering (epidemiology, psychology, therapy)
• Young Adult