Selective Mutism Questionnaire (SMQ)

Selective mutism is an anxiety disorder where an individual is unable to speak in certain situations, such as at school or in public places, but can speak normally in familiar settings, such as at home or with family. This type of anxiety disorder is not due to language problems or intellectual disabilities but comes from intense social anxiety.

Selective Mutism Questionnaire (SMQ) tries to measure multiple dimensions of Selective Mutism and the level of impairment. This self-assessment is based on 5 dimensions of Selective Mutism.

Speech in Different Places → Speech

Selective Mutism is not a speech problem or a language problem, but it is avoidance of speaking in certain situations. In this self-assessment test, we try to look at where a person can talk freely and where he/she stays quiet. For example, a person with this disorder may feel comfortable talking with family members but feel uncomfortable talking with classmates or teachers.

Anxiety and Fear → Anxiety

The fear of being judged and the feeling of nervousness in front of others while trying to speak leads to anxiety and avoidance of social situations. People with this type of disorder worries a lot about speaking with strangers. They also feel embarrassed or fearful when others wait for their response.

Other Ways of Talking → Alternatives

People with Selective Mutism love to whisper, point, and nod because they want to make their speech short and try to avoid situations where they may be dragged to speak a lot. They feel comfortable using gestures instead of speaking words. They also let others talk for them and like to communicate in writing. They may use chatting tools instead of a direct phone call.

Problems in Life → Impairment

People with selective mutism can live a normal life, but the quality of daily life depends on the level of impairment in day-to-day activities due to the avoidance of social situations. People with this disorder struggle to make friends, and their academic and professional life gets affected by not speaking about their problems and not asking for help.

How Long/How Often → Consistency

(SMQ) tries to look at how long the problem has lasted and how often it happens. Some people with Selective Mutism always remain silent and avoid speaking even a single word, but others may talk less in public than at home. People with severe impairment may stop talking at all, even when they feel safe.

The assessment consists of 20 statements and typically requires 3–5 minutes to complete. Participants respond to statements describing speaking behaviors, anxiety, communication preferences, social functioning, and symptom consistency.

The DSMQ-20 consists of 20 items distributed across five dimensions:

Speech
Anxiety
Alternatives
Impairment
Consistency

Higher scores indicate greater tendencies associated with selective mutism and greater interference with communication across social situations.

The overall score reflects the general tendency toward selective mutism characteristics and related functional difficulties.

I am able to speak freely at home.

I find it difficult to speak at school, work, or in public places.

I speak comfortably with close family members.

I stay quiet in situations where most people would normally talk.

I feel nervous when people expect me to speak.

I worry about being judged when I talk.

I feel embarrassed when attention is focused on me during conversations.

I become anxious when strangers try to talk with me.

I prefer pointing, nodding, or using gestures instead of speaking.

I whisper rather than speak normally in certain situations.

I prefer writing messages instead of speaking directly.

I often let others speak for me.

My speaking difficulties make it hard to make friends.

My communication difficulties affect my school or work performance.

I avoid situations where I may be expected to speak.

My speaking difficulties interfere with my daily life.

I have experienced these speaking difficulties for a long time.

My difficulty speaking occurs regularly in the same situations.

My difficulty speaking has remained consistent over time.

Even when I feel safe, I sometimes struggle to speak.