Contemporary clinical conversations about stuttering: How clinically important is mental health during management of early stuttering?

Purpose: To discuss how clinically important mental health is during management of early stuttering. To inform early-career clinicians and students of speech-language pathology about contemporary views on this issue.

Method: The issue was discussed by three speech-language pathologists and a clinical psychologist. Written conversational turns in an exchange were limited to 100 words each. When that written dialogue was concluded, the moderator summarised the discussion.

Result: All agreed that it is essential to take account of mental health during management of early stuttering.

Conclusion: The following key points were raised: a) There is a prominent risk that a child with early stuttering will be or will become socially anxious, b) parent anxiety is a clinical consideration, c) support and counselling of children and parents needs to be within the scope of speech-language pathology practice, and d) referral of a child or parent, or both, to a clinical psychologist may be required, facilitated by formal testing if needed.