Is social distancing a boon or bane for persons who stutter during COVID-19 pandemic?

Abdulaziz Almudhi

doi:10.1016/j.sjbs.2021.02.055

Is social distancing a boon or bane for persons who stutter during COVID-19 pandemic?

Saudi J Biol Sci. 2021 May;28(5):3110-3116. doi: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2021.02.055. Epub 2021 Feb 22.

Author

Abdulaziz Almudhi¹

Affiliation

¹ Department of Medical Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Khalid University, P.O. Box 3665, Abha 61481, Saudi Arabia.

Abstract

The Covid-19 pandemic is an ongoing crisis and is colloquially known as the corona virus pandemic. As no specific treatment protocol are available for this viral infection, social distancing is considered as one of the remedies to prevent the infection. This study aimed to investigate the anxiety issues in persons who stutter (PWS). A total of 110 (55 PWS and 55 Neuro-typical Adults) were enrolled for the study. A questionnaire comprising of two parts on social anxiety and consequences of social distancing was administered on the participants. The results showed that PWS felt more socially anxious. PWS opined that they were comfortable during the corona virus lockdown period, as the situation demanded them to speak minimally to strangers. Neuro-typical adults, on the other hand, reported that they did not observe any change with respect to the social communication skills during lockdown.

Keywords: COVID-19; Communicative confidence; Social anxiety; Social distancing; Stuttering severity.