Exploring the Experience of Stuttering Management and Treatment Adherence in Adults Who Stutter

Document Type : Qualitative Review

Authors
Sajedeh Zhyaneh-Ahani 1
Mohammad Kamali 2
Maryam Trameshlu 3
Samaneh Heidari 4
1 MSc Student, Department of Rehabilitation Management, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
2 PhD, School of Rehabilitation Sciences AND Rehabilitation Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
3 PhD, Department of Speech Therapy, School of Rehabilitation Sciences AND Rehabilitation Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
4 Assistant Professor, Department of Rehabilitation Management, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
10.48305/jrrs.2026.46487.1154
Abstract
Introduction: Stuttering, as a speech fluency disorder, can profoundly affect quality of life (QoL), social communication, and mental health in adults. Effective stuttering management and treatment adherence are considered key factors in the success of rehabilitation programs for individuals who stutter. This study aimed to explore the experience of stuttering management and treatment adherence in adults who stutter.
Materials and Methods: This qualitative study employed conventional content analysis. Fifteen adults who stutter, aged 18 to 62 years, with a stuttering history of at least 6 months, were purposively recruited using maximum variation sampling. Data were collected through semi-structured, in-depth interviews and continued until theoretical saturation was reached. Conventional qualitative content analysis was employed for data analysis.
Results: Data analysis yielded six categories: self-concept reconstruction and emotional management, behavioral strategies, supportive factors, treatment motivation, continuity challenges, and therapeutic relationship quality. Successful stuttering management results from the interaction between reconstructed self-concept, effective behaviors, and environmental support. Treatment adherence, beyond techniques, depends on the quality of the therapeutic relationship, structural flexibility, and attention to psychosocial barriers.
Conclusion: Stuttering management and treatment adherence among adults who stutter are multidimensional phenomena that depend on individual, social, and therapeutic factors. Integrating these lived experiences into the design of rehabilitation programs can improve treatment adherence and QoL in this population.
Keywords
Stuttering
Stuttering management
Treatment adherence
Qualitative study
Adults
Subjects
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