Stuttering: 75% of those who suffer from it have suffered forms of discrimination. It is “voice shaming” that causes anxiety and depression

Use your voice to express yourself and connect with others. It’s one of the most natural things in the world, but a those who suffer from stuttering or another language disorder it can be complex and tiring.

A complexity amplified by stereotypes and by the need of this society – hyper-performing and judgmental – to always move at the same pace. When communication turns into a challenge, it can have repercussions on mental health of people.

And this is one of the many consequences of voice shamingterm coined by the Vivavoce Association to identify all forms of discrimination of those who struggle to speak fluently.

Alessia’s story

Alessia, a 24-year-old student at the San Raffaele University of Milan, who completed her master’s degree in Biotechnology and Medical Biology recently. The oral exams, especially in the three-year period, were not easy.
«In my field, a very scientific language is required», says Alessia. «With stuttering, what you always tend to do is look for the way with the easier wordsand they do not always coincide with the scientific language that should be used in certain contexts.” There was no shortage of him along his journey episode on voice shamingAlso by professors. «During an exam, in which I wanted to look good, I was very nervous and I stuttered really a lot. The professor interrupted me to say: “I need you to use more scientific language, because I don’t understand you, and if you continue to talk like this, you can come back next time for me.” I had to accept a 21 which, objectively based on how much I had studied and how much I had prepared, I absolutely did not deserve.”

The psychological consequences

Alessia didn’t give up. However, she managed to successfully complete her studies. Unfortunately, this is not always the case.

Almost 75% of people with stuttering suffer voice shaming and in 92% of cases there are important psychological consequences.
This is what emerges from the third Annual Report ofOsservatorio Voice Shaming presented by the Vivavoce Association. «I heard myself asked: is there a need to talk about voice shaming? Yes, because there is a need to give a name to all of these episodes of actual discrimination which impact on the way in which even a child conceives himself, his future, his relationship with others. There is a need to give scientific dignity to this phenomenon. There is a need to start building a new culture of voice”, he comments Giovanni Muscaràpresident of Vivavoce.

The problems of discrimination

The most interesting data from the 2025 Observatory concerns the impact of voice shaming (VS) on mental health: over 85% of victims say they have suffered from moderate to high anxiety and 50% admit to having had depressive symptoms. «The negative impact of stuttering is significantly amplified if one experiences forms of voice shaming. The fact of being discriminated against for the way we speak generates a vicious circle between discriminatory experience, emotional discomfort and reduction of opportunities for expression”, he explains Antonio Schindlerotolaryngologist, phoniatrician and scientific director ofOsservatorio Voice Shaming of Speakerphone.

In fact, those who experience this type of discrimination deal more (43%) with negative emotions (such as anger, inadequacy, isolation and frustration) or develop avoidant behaviors (such as interrupting eye contact or speaking for fear of stuttering). Also the negative repetitive thinking it is a constant for those who have suffered VS (80%), as is the difficulty in managing emotions in a functional way (78%).

Conditions on the future

«For us human beings, the voice is the mirror of our identity, of our personality. And therefore any process that can interrupt linguistic fluency will have repercussions, especially on a psychological level”, explains the professor Abutalebi Tilescognitive neurologist and professor of neurolinguistics at the Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, who underlines how the impact of voice shaming can be more serious in young people, with long-term consequences on their lives. «The prevalent contexts in which voice shaming occurs are schools, first and foremost, and universities».

Unfortunately, this form of discrimination influences life choices in 74% of cases. «I remember a former thesis student of mine, a truly brilliant boy. After his doctorate, he could have had a career as a university researcher. What did he do? The technician. He dropped out of college. Many times the young person who suffers from stuttering as an adult chooses an occupation in which perhaps speaking and presenting is not necessary.” Almost 57% of interviewees confirm that VS has influenced in some way their school or work choices, and in general some important choices throughout life (74.5%).

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December 27, 2025

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