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Abstract

Background and Objective: The main objective of the study was to investigate anxiety levels and self-esteem in stutterers and assess their relationship with the severity of stuttering and its chronicity have a direct relation with anxiety and its severity. Methods: Young adult male volunteers (n = 86, age range 17 – 35 years) recruited for this crosssectional study were placed into three groups; controls (non-stutterers, n = 30), mild to moderate stutterers (n = 26) and moderate to severe stutterers (n = 30). Hamilton anxiety scale (HAM-A) and Rosenberg self-esteem scale (RSES) were employed for the assessment of anxiety and self-esteem, respectively. One-way ANOVA and post-hoc Tukey tests were performed to observe group mean differences. Pearson’s correlation was computed to assess relationship between anxiety and self-esteem. P-values of < 0.05 were considered significant. Results: Significantly increased anxiety levels were observed in stutterers as compared to nonstutterers, especially in moderate to severe group. Self-esteem levels of stutterers were not different from those of the non-stutterers. Congenital stuttering was common (48%) and a high proportion (83%) of stutterers reported parental consanguinity in moderate to severe stutterers. No significant correlation was observed between self-esteem scores and anxiety levels (n = 86, Pearson’s R = -0.039, P< 0.721). Conclusion: Stuttering is associated with anxiety and the increase in severity of stuttering leads to higher anxiety levels. Anxiety also worsens stuttering.