"Selective mutism, for those unfamiliar, is when someone becomes speechless around certain people or social situations despite having normal speaking ability. It tends to develop early on and historically was only applied to children. In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, published in 2013 (DSM-5), it was noted that adults can also suffer from the affliction."
"The condition first appeared in the medical literature in 1877- aphrasia voluntaria or "voluntary absence of speech." It was changed to elective mutism in the 1930s. It wasn't until the DSM-3 (1980) that it became an official diagnosis. At that time, it was still referred to as elective mutism because of the continued belief that there was an elective, or voluntary, nature to the child becoming mute."
"Before the DSM-3, however, some clinicians in the 1960s, most notably Alice Sluckin, felt the condition was not a function of contrariness, but rather one of anxiety."
Selective mutism is a condition where individuals become speechless around certain people or situations despite having normal speaking ability. Historically misunderstood as oppositional behavior, the condition is actually driven by anxiety. First documented in 1877 as "voluntary absence of speech," it was renamed elective mutism in the 1930s and became an official diagnosis in the DSM-3 (1980). Early terminology suggested voluntary or elective nature, implying behavioral issues. However, clinicians in the 1960s, including Alice Sluckin, recognized the condition stemmed from anxiety rather than contrariness. The DSM-5 (2013) expanded recognition to include adults. Communication remains possible through creative approaches despite speechlessness.
#selective-mutism #anxiety-disorder #child-mental-health #communication-disorders #diagnostic-criteria
Read at Psychology Today
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