Polish adaptation of the Self-Stigma of Stuttering Scale: Scale development and analysis

Purpose: There is currently no available assessment of self-stigmatization for people who stutter in Polish, and previous research has identified a clear need for such a measure to be implemented in therapy settings. The aim of this study was to adapt the Self-Stigma of Stuttering Scale (4S) to Polish. Method: The study recruited 108 Polish adults who stutter (48.1 % female, 51.9 % male), ranging in age from 18 to 67. Participants were mainly recruited via speech language pathologists (SLPs) and self-help group leaders. Participants completed the Polish translation of the 4S scale, as well as questions on general mental health welfare and life satisfaction, their own speech assessment, perceptions of difficulties associated with stuttering, and perceived level of support. Results: The highest score of the Polish 4S was for stigma awareness. The overall scale and individual subscales were significantly correlated with each other and the scale showed good internal consistency. Mean scores were generally in line with Boyle's (2015) scale evaluation results. Levels of internal consistency were comparable to those in Boyle (2015) and to other translations. The results show that a large proportion of participants were aware of the stigma associated with stuttering (reflected in 67.59 % of participants scoring above the theoretical midpoint on the Stigma Awareness Score) and a substantial proportion of participants applied highly negative stigmatizing attitudes to themselves personally (38.89 % of participants scored above the theoretical midpoint on the Stigma Application Score). Conclusions: The study findings align with previous assessments and adaptations, suggesting the 4S can reliably be used in the Polish context. As the field of speech and language therapy in Poland is increasingly more concerned with the internal feelings and emotions of people who stutter rather than solely focusing on treatment of physical speech disruption, an assessment of self-stigma is an important addition to the speech-language pathologists’ toolkit.