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A Comparison of Elective Mutism and Emotional Disorders in Children

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

Robert Wilkins
Robert Wilkins*
Affiliation:
Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Maudsley Hospital, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AZ
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Summary

The case notes of 24 children diagnosed as elective mutes were compared with those of 24 matched controls with diagnosed emotional disorders. One-third of the elective mutes (but none of the controls) had experienced delayed development of speech or difficulties in articulation. All the elective mutes lived in two-parent families, but marital discord was noted in half the families in both groups. Compared with the controls, the mute children were more often described as ‘anxious', ‘depressed’ and ‘manipulative’, and their mothers were characterised as ‘over-protective’, and tending to ‘spoil’ their children. Three unusual cases, of mutism at home, are described in detail. It is proposed that elective mutism is associated with particular personal and family characteristics and represents a condition different from any recognised emotional disorder.

Type
Research Article
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 146 , Issue 2 , February 1985 , pp. 198 - 203
Copyright
Copyright © 1985 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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