Establishing and developing support system for the emotions and affect of severe stutterers

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K04962
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Special needs education
• Research Institution: Kawasaki University of Medical Welfare
• Principal Investigator: Shiomi Masashi 川崎医療福祉大学, リハビリテーション学部, 教授 (60711215)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 福永 真哉 川崎医療福祉大学, リハビリテーション学部, 教授 (00296188) ; 水本 豪 熊本保健科学大学, 保健科学部, 准教授 (20531635)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 吃音 / 社交不安症 / RASS

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study investigated the state of social anxiety in individuals who stutter during the initial evaluation using the Social Anxiety Disorder Scale (SADS). We investigated whether the Retrospective Approach to Spontaneous Speech (RASS) is an effective training method for social anxiety in individuals who stutter using the change in SADS score after the implementation of the RASS. It has been suggested that approximately 90% of patients who visit hospitals with stuttering as their main complaint, including suspected cases, have social anxiety. There was a significant difference between the SADS scores before and after the implementation of the RASS. Furthermore, the RASS showed improvement in overcoming social anxiety at a rate of 0.84/person-year. These results suggest that the RASS could be an effective training method for improving social anxiety in individuals who stutter.

Free Research Field

言語聴覚障害学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

社交不安症は退学率の増加、社会経済的状態、生活の質などの低下と関連していることから、吃音者に社交不安症が認められる際には、吃音のみならず社交不安症にも対応可能な訓練法が行なわれることが必要である。そして本研究では、更なる検証は必要ではあるが吃音の訓練法として開発されたRASSも吃音者の持つ社交不安の問題に有効なアプローチ法であることを示すことが出来た。
社交不安の問題を呈する吃音者への訓練法の選択肢を増やすことが出来たことは、本研究の社会的意義と成り得ると考える。