How Do You Do Talk Therapy With Someone Who Can't Talk? Perspectives From Mental Health Providers on Delivering Services to Individuals With Aphasia

Abstract

Purpose Aphasia is correlated with depression and anxiety, and it has a negative impact on quality of life. Aphasia is also frequently misunderstood among mental health care providers. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of mental health providers who provide services to people living with aphasia. Method Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to analyze interviews of six mental health providers who had some experience in providing services to people with aphasia. Results Three main themes among mental health care providers' experiences providing services to people with aphasia were identified: barriers, interprofessional collaboration, and therapy looks different. Subthemes associated with barriers included insufficient training and knowledge of aphasia, the stigma of receiving mental health services, and accessibility to services. Subthemes related to interdisciplinary collaboration included referrals, knowledge and awareness, and strategies and tools. Subthemes supporting therapy looks different included a new approach to therapy and challenges. Conclusions Mental health providers' experiences reveal the need for an action-oriented approach to overcome barriers, a nontraditional approach to talk therapy for people with aphasia, and increased collaboration with speech-language pathologists (SLPs). Future research should explore expanding the collaboration between SLPs and mental health providers to increase shared knowledge and skills in issues related to reducing depression and anxiety to support the well-being of people with aphasia.

Aphasia Depression and Psychological Therapy (ADaPT): Perspectives of People with Post-Stroke Aphasia on Participating in a Modified Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

“…Previous research confirms that speech pathologists report that verbal and non-verbal communication support are a vital factor to fostering a therapeutic alliance [40]. Of note, mental health practitioners report insufficient knowledge and training concerning aphasia, with a need for collaboration and interdisciplinary practice with speech-language pathologists [41]. It will be important for future research to understand the training, support, and supervision needs of ADaPT therapists to deliver therapy using modifications and approaches to support communication.…”

Person-centered care for people with aphasia: tools for shared decision-making

“…Mental health professionals are just one group of practitioners who do not typically receive sufficient training on how to adapt communication for people with aphasia (45). Mental health professionals acknowledge the need for additional training along with better collaboration with SLPs, so that they can meet the needs of people with aphasia.…”

Reversing the Ruin: Rehabilitation, Recovery, and Restoration After Stroke

“…For an estimated one in three [ 156 ] to five [ 77 ] individuals with stroke [ 157 ], effective pharmacological and counseling is key to patients experiencing the greatest benefit associated with their rehabilitation therapy. As noted in the prior section, new avenues of research are pursuing the direct treatment of these sequelae for individuals with communication disorders that are notoriously difficult to treat and often excluded from research related to these issues [ 158 ].…”