Multifaceted Effects of Stuttering and Anxiety on Students in Tertiary Education

Introduction: Overt perception of stereotypical threats by stutterers is reflected in their elevated levels of anxiety and reduced ability to establish and maintain effective communicative relationships across contexts and ages.

Methods: A quantitative and descriptive approach was used, including standardized stuttering and anxiety assessment tools; also, a questionnaire for the perception of threats.

Results: State anxiety was highly correlated with stuttering measures as well as speech related anxiety (r>.6); self-reported fluency was strongly correlated with traditional fluency measures (r>.6); state anxiety was found to be a stronger predictor of quality of life, self-efficacy and overall negative impact ratings than stuttering severity (R²=.658, .473 and .779 respectively).

Discussion: Perception of negative stereotypes was high among participants, which negatively impacted their lives through personal and social aspects.

Limitations: A larger sample size would increase the generalization of the study.

Conclusions: Stutterers in tertiary education need professional and institutional support to maintain overall well-being and effective academic relationships.