Community responses to persons with aphasia participating in CoActive therapeutic theatre: A pilot study

Abstract

BackgroundPersons with aphasia (PWA) experience a number of communicative and social‐emotional challenges. Reported experiences of PWA include but are not limited to, being misunderstood, isolated, frustrated, and infantilised.AimsThe aim of this pilot study, involving a Life Participation Approach to Aphasia (LPAA), conducted over the course of 2 years, was to understand community perceptions of aphasia while PWA engaged in an interprofessional treatment program involving speech and drama therapy.Methods & ProceduresThe interprofessional treatment program involved PWA participating in a therapeutic theatre program using the CoActive Therapeutic Theater (CoATT) while also receiving speech‐language therapy. Each year, the PWA performed a different, original therapeutic theatre production for a public audience, at the culmination of their interprofessional treatment program. In this paper, we share data obtained from perspectives of audience members who witnessed the theatre production and aphasia education during the first year of the study and friends and family of PWA who participated in the therapeutic theatre process during the second year of the study.Outcomes & ResultsResponses from audience members who participated in aphasia education and witnessed the therapeutic theatre performance by the PWA during the first year, indicated an increased knowledge of aphasia. Friends and family members of PWA who witnessed their loved ones engaging in the CoATT process through interprofessional treatment, in the second year, reported that their loved ones benefited from the CoATT process, which was distinct from other therapeutic processes to their knowledge and that they were impacted by watching their loved one perform.Conclusions & ImplicationsThese initial findings create footing towards understanding impact of therapeutic theatre in combination with speech‐language therapy in the lives of PWA. They help us to obtain an initial appreciation of how therapeutic theatre and aphasia education help connect PWA and their community.WHAT THIS PAPER ADDSWhat is already known on this subject Caregivers and communities at large play a significant role in and substantially impact the recovery of their loved ones (Dalemans et al., 2010; Grawburget et al., 2013; Kniepmann & Cupler, 2014) with aphasia. However, existing research suggests that persons with aphasia (PWA) are often misunderstood, isolated and infantilised by their communities.What this paper adds to existing knowledge The findings of our study reveal that friends, families and extended communities of PWA gain a positive and deep understanding of challenges experienced by PWA through therapeutic theatre supported by speech language therapy, based in a new CoActive Therapeutic Theatre (CoATT) model. This PWA community also agrees that therapeutic theatre in combination with speech‐language therapy provides confidence and camaraderie between PWAs and strengthen connection between all constituencies. These results support the need for interprofessional intervention within the framework of a Life Participation Approach to Aphasia (LPAA).What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? Treatment paradigms that bring PWAs in contact with their communities using an LPAA approach can increase confidence and social engagement for PWAs potentially leading to better outcomes for their individual speech‐language therapy as well as create means of educating communities about PWA, and their stories.

Análisis de perfil cognitivo, bienestar psicológico y habilidades sociales en personas que se dedican al teatro, en una muestra de teatristas de Panamá durante el año 2023

“…Por ello el teatro, es recomendada como una herramienta de intervención que podría ser indicada en trastornos mentales (Ranasinghe, 2015) mejorando el bienestar y la recuperación en pacientes con enfermedad mental (Stembridge de Aguilera, Hocking, & Sutton, 2018), pudiendo en algunos casos hasta poder ser aplicada de forma remota con efectos en la mejor conciencia de sus diagnósticos, el sentido de bienestar y mayor conciencia comunitaria (Cheung, Agwu, Stojcevski, Wood, & Fan, 2022). La teatroerapia o el teatro terapéutico es usado también en intervenciones familiares (Kaynan & Wade, 2018), para mejor la flexibilidad cognitiva, la alegría y la fluidez en personas mayores (Bassis et al, 2023), puede contribuir a mejores resultados en pacientes con trastornos afásicos al combinar la terapia del habla y el teatro (Datta et al, 2024). Son muchas las indicaciones terapéuticas con que podría relacionarse con la práctica del teatro como herramienta de intervención para potenciar los efectos de los tratamientos en que pueda estar atravesando una persona, pero éstos métodos parecen ser una fuente de empoderamiento personal, al fomentar el conocimiento y crecimiento personal y emocional, fortalece la cohesión y sentido de pertenencia comunitaria al ser parte de una producción inclusiva (Cook, 2020).…”