Refining the classification of children with selective mutism: a latent profile analysis

Abstract

The goal of this study was to develop an empirically derived classification system for selective mutism (SM) using parent-report measures of social anxiety, behavior problems, and communication delays. The sample consisted of parents of 130 children (ages 5-12) with SM. Results from latent profile analysis supported a 3-class solution made up of an anxious-mildly oppositional group, an anxious-communication delayed group, and an exclusively anxious group. Follow-up tests indicated significant group differences on measures of SM symptom severity, externalizing problems, and expressive/receptive language abilities. These results suggest that, although social anxiety is typically a prominent feature of SM, children with the disorder are also likely to present with communication delays and/or mild behavior problems.