Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the anxiety types of school-age children with and without stuttering based on self-report. A further aim was to examine the possible relationships between anxiety levels and stuttering characteristics in children with stuttering. Material and Methods: The participants included 25 children who stutter aged between 9-12 years (mean age=115.64±9.8 months; 22 boys, 3 girls) and 25 age- and gender- matched children who did not stutter (mean age=116.52±10.3 months; 22 boys, 3 girls). The children's anxiety types were examined with the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale Child Version. The Stuttering Severity Instrument- 4-TR was used to evaluate the stuttering characteristics of children with stuttering. Results: There was no significant difference between the separation anxiety, fear of physical injury, generalized anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, and panic disorder-agoraphobia sub-factor scores of the children with and without stuttering. However, the social phobia (Mann-Whitney U test; p=0.008; effect size: 0.75) and the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale total scores (independent samples t-test; p=0.009; effect size: 0.77) of the children with stuttering were significantly higher than for children without stuttering. Conclusion: It is thought that the knowledge of speech and language therapists about different types of anxiety may help them to better understand the individual's stuttering. Thus, anxiety levels should be checked during routine stuttering assessments.
Keywords: Anxiety; anxiety types; social anxiety disorder; social phobia; stuttering
Amaç: Bu çalışmanın amacı, kekemeliği olan ve olmayan okul çağı çocukların öz bildirim raporuna dayalı olarak kaygı tiplerinin karşılaştırılmasıdır. Ayrıca kekemeliği olan çocuklarda, kaygı düzeyleri ile kekemelik özellikleri arasındaki muhtemel ilişkilerin incelenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Gereç ve Yöntemler: Çalışmanın katılımcı grubu 9- 12 yaş arasında kekemeliği olan 25 (ortalama yaş=115,64±9,8; 22 erkek, 3 kız) ve kekemeliği olan çocuklar ile yaş ve cinsiyet özellikler açısından eşleştirilmiş kekemeliği olmayan 25 çocuktan (ortalama yaş=116,52±10,3; 22 erkek, 3 kız) oluşmaktadır. Çalışmada kaygı tiplerini değerlendirmek için Spence Çocuklar için Kaygı Ölçeği-Çocuk Formu kullanılmıştır. Kekemeliği olan çocukların kekemelik özelliklerinin değerlendirilmesi için ise Kekemelik Şiddetini Değerlendirme Aracı-4 kullanılmıştır. Bulgular: Çalışma sonucunda, 2 grup arasında; ayrılık kaygısı, fiziksel yaralanma korkusu, genel kaygı, obsesif kompulsif bozukluk ve panik bozukluk-agorafobi alt faktör puanları arasında istatistiksel açıdan anlamlı olarak farklılık bulunmamıştır. Ancak kekemeliği olan çocukların; sosyal fobi (Mann- Whitney U test; p=0,008<0,01; etki büyüklüğü: 0,75) ve Spence Çocuklar için Kaygı Ölçeği-Toplam puanları (bağımsız örneklemler için t-testi; p=0,009<0,01; etki büyüklüğü: 0,77), kekemeliği olmayan akranlarına kıyasla istatistiksel açıdan anlamlı olarak daha yüksek bulunmuştur. Sonuç: Dil ve konuşma terapistlerinin farklı kaygı tipleri hakkındaki bilgi düzeylerinin, kekemeliğin daha iyi anlaşılmasını sağlayacağı düşünülmektedir. Buna göre rutin kekemelik değerlendirmelerinde bireyin kaygı düzeyleri de değerlendirilmelidir.
Anahtar Kelimeler: Kaygı; kaygı tipleri; sosyal kaygı bozukluğu; sosyal fobi; kekemelik
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