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Prediction of Outcome After Treatment for Stuttering

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Gavin Andrews*
Affiliation:
University of New South Wales; Clinical Research Unit for Anxiety Disorders
Ashley Craig
Affiliation:
NSW Institute of Technology
*
Clinical Research Unit for Anxiety Disorders, St Vincent's Hospital, 299 Forbes Street, Sydney, Australia 2010

Abstract

Predicting who will relapse after behavioural or dynamic psychotherapy is important. A search for variables likely to predict individuals at risk of relapse was conducted in two groups of successfully treated stutterers. The most powerful predictors were the attainment of three goals by the last day of treatment; namely, skill mastery as evidenced by no stuttering, normal attitudes to communication, and an internalisation of the locus of control. Of the subjects who achieved these three goals, 97% maintained their improved speech in the long term. No subject who failed to achieve any of these goals remained fluent, while those who achieved one or two goals had intermediate outcomes. No single goal was necessary and none alone was sufficient to maintain improvement. Both actual and perceived mastery over stuttering appear to be important if the long-term outcome is to be satisfactory.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1988 

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