Feelings and the acceptance spectrum in adult stuttering

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this exploratory study was to describe the feelings about and attitudes toward stuttering expressed in the narrative responses of a large sample of adults who stutter. Method: Eighty-eight adults who stutter answered an online survey questionnaire on their feelings about their stuttering. Thematic analysis was conducted to investigate the individual nuances of each participant’s response, which gave rise to general themes across the sample. Results: Five major themes emerged from participants’ responses regarding their feelings about their stuttering: (I) negative feelings about stuttering; (II) negative attitudes toward stuttering; (III) negative impact on quality of life; (IV) the acceptance spectrum; and (V) exclusively positive feelings and attitudes about stuttering. Negative feelings included embarrassment and shame, frustration, and grief, while negative attitudes were hatred, dislike, and annoyance. Stuttering’s negative impact on participants’ lives in general as well as on specific aspects such as job interviews were described. Participants reported varying degrees of acceptance, highlighting that acceptance is not an ‘all or nothing’ phenomenon. Examples of positive feelings were confidence and comfort. Conclusion: The vast majority of participants included negatively charged elements in their responses, and acceptance was largely described as being a fluid phenomenon, regardless of participants’ ages. Findings indicate clinical implications for addressing feelings, attitudes, and acceptance across the lifespan.