Older people who stutter: barriers to communication and perceptions of treatment needs.

Int J Lang Commun Disord

Australian Stuttering Research Centre, University of Sydney, Lidcombe, Australia.

Published: April 2010

Background: Little is known about the experience of stuttering for people over 55 years of age. Recent research has established that the same types of stuttering behaviours, cognitions, and emotional consequences experienced during young adulthood persist into older age.

Aims: The aims were to investigate perceptions of limitations to activity and participation in a group of older people who stuttered into adulthood. A further aim was to find out their perceptions about treatment.

Methods & Procedures: This was a qualitative study involving eleven participants, eight males and three females over 55 years of age (mean age = 70.7, standard deviation = 9.13 years, range = 57.2-83.8 years) who self-reported stuttering into adulthood. Participants were randomly assigned to two focus groups for the discussion of topic questions posed by a moderator. The discussion was video- and audio-recorded, transcribed, and analysed using a comparative thematic analysis to derive emergent themes in relation to the topic questions.

Outcomes & Results: Stuttering can impact on the lives of older people in a similar way to younger people who stutter. Participants who continued to work felt more limited by their stuttering because work involved unpredictable speaking situations with unfamiliar people. Others who had retired experienced some relief from these limitations because they were no longer required to communicate in a work context. The acceptance of stuttering was a theme expressed by some participants, and acceptance diminished the limitations because these older people were less fearful of the consequences of their stuttering. However, others remained constrained by the impact of stuttering on their communication and struggled with a fear of speaking and a fear of negative evaluation by others. They applied learnt and self-devised techniques to assist their speech and felt that if fear of speaking was removed and their self-confidence increased, communication might be better. They would like effective, individual, and short-term treatment with speech-language pathologists who are knowledgeable about stuttering and sensitive to their emotional needs.

Conclusions & Implications: Older people who stutter experienced limitations to participation because of their stuttering and there are implications for their future ability to remain independent and connected to relevant people and services. Further investigation of these limitations and research into effective intervention is indicated.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.3109/13682820802627314DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

older people
20
people stutter
12
stuttering
10
people
8
years age
8
fear speaking
8
older
6
limitations
5
stutter barriers
4
barriers communication
4

Similar Publications

Background: The role that sleep patterns play in sepsis risk remains poorly understood.

Objectives: The objective was to evaluate the association between various sleep behaviours and the incidence of sepsis.

Methods: In this prospective cohort study, we analysed data from the UK Biobank (UKB).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Institutional, neighborhood, and life stressors on loneliness among older adults.

BMC Public Health

January 2025

Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto, 246 Bloor St W, Toronto, ON, M5S 1V4, Canada.

Background: Loneliness is a public health epidemic in the United States (US), with older adults being vulnerable to experiencing loneliness. Predictors of loneliness are less understood among racial/ethnic groups of US older adults, and few studies have included perceived institutional discrimination (PID), stressful life events (SLE), and perceived neighborhood characteristics (PNC) as antecedent stressors of loneliness in diverse older adult samples. Our study assessed the relationship between these stressors and loneliness among specific racial/ethnic groups of older adults.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Trends in incidence, prevalence, and mortality of non-communicable diseases in Iraq (2003-2021).

BMC Public Health

January 2025

Department of Public Health and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary.

Background: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) have become a major public health concern in Iraq, playing a significant role in the country's morbidity and mortality rates. To offer a thorough overview of the patterns and the overall impact of NCDs on public health, this study aims to map the trends in the incidence, prevalence, and mortality rates of NCDs in Iraq between 2003 and 2021.

Methods: Data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study 2021 were utilized.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Gallstone disease (GSD) is associated with obesity. The Cardiometabolic Index (CMI), a metric that accurately assesses central adiposity and visceral fat, has not been extensively studied in relation to GSD risk. This study investigates the link between CMI and GSD incidence in U.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Associations between sedentary behaviour and sarcopenia among patients aged 40 and older with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a cross-sectional study.

BMC Public Health

January 2025

School of Nursing and Rehabilitation, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, 44 Wenhua Xi Road, Lixia District, Jinan, Shandong Province, China.

Background: Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and sarcopenia experience poorer clinical prognosis. Although sedentary behaviour (SB) is common risk factor for COPD, its relationship with sarcopenia in this specific population remains unclear.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional survey of participants aged 40 and above with COPD, involving 27 communities and 2 hospitals' outpatient departments.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!