Toward an Integrative Understanding of Safety Behaviours in Stuttering
Main Article Content
Abstract
Safety behaviours are commonly understood as actions that maintain anxiety by preventing individuals from confronting feared situations, particularly in the framework of cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT). While this concept is widely applicable to anxiety disorders, its relevance to chronic conditions like stuttering is less clear. Stuttering, a complex speech disorder, involves social and communication challenges that may lead to using up safety behaviours on the subject of chronic conditions like stuttering, where these can act as supportive strategies rather than merely causing anxiety. This paper judiciously examines the function of safety behaviours in stuttering, contrasting traditional CBT approaches that discourage these actions with speech therapy strategies that often incorporate them as practical tools. Drawing on clinical evidence and theoretical insights, authors argue that safety behaviours in chronic stuttering may also have supportive value, helping individuals navigate social and communicative demands. The authors also highlight the need to differentiate between maladaptive safety behaviours and those supporting functional communication. By using manual reference checks and keyword searches, a systematic review of peer-reviewed literature was carried out. The findings focused on how safety behaviours work in chronic medical conditions and then analysed within the framework of stuttering, evaluating the dual role of safety behaviours as both supportive strategies and contributors to anxiety.
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References
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