Comparing psychological treatment services for adults who stutter: Online social anxiety treatment versus standard community treatment services.

This study is a randomised controlled trial investigating the quality of life, psychological benefits and speech outcomes of an online social anxiety treatment in comparison to standard clinical practice in the community for adults who stutter. Participants will be randomised to one of two groups: Online cognitive behaviour treatment or standard psychological services available in the community. The online cognitive behaviour treatment involves an internet program, known as iGlebe. The iGlebe program is a cognitive behaviour therapy program for social anxiety with people who stutter. The treatment is completely online without any input from live clinicians. iGlebe has seven modules. Participants complete the prescribed activities associated with each module before progressing to the next module. The first stage of the program involves developing an individualised profile for each participant. This is achieved by having the participant complete an online battery of assessments, The Unhelpful Thoughts and Beliefs About Stuttering scale, Avoidance of Speaking Situations questionnaire, The Fear of Negative Evaluation scale, and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales. These assessments are designed to comprehensively identify destructive and irrational cognitions common to those who stutter, such as “people focus on every word I say,” “I won’t be able to keep a job if I stutter,” and “everyone in the room will hear me stutter.” The resultant profile is then used to design specific and individualised activities for each participant throughout the program. Instructions for each activity are given both in text on the screen and with pre-recorded spoken instructions from a psychologist with more than 20 years experience treating anxiety. Participants work through the activities at their own pace. Activities include behavioural experiments, cognitive restructuring, attention training, and writing tasks. Participants have access to iGlebe for 5 months. Research has shown this to be adequate time to complete the program. Participants work at their own pace through each of the modules. The time spent working through each module can vary depending on participant responses to the initial questionnaires and the time they spend working on the activities and tasks. Participants can choose to repeat tasks as well. It is recommended that participants log into the program at least weekly. The teaching components for each module is expected to take between 1 and 2 hours depending on the module. Adherence to iGlebe will be provided from data generated within the program and consists of dates of first login, date of login for each new module, date and page of last login.