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Next aphasia thread - @KaterinaHilari at #UKSF20 about the SUPERB study, peer befriending feasability trial also funded by @TheStrokeAssoc (I was lucky to be a researcher on this project and LOVED it). Again, this study focused on psychological issues in aphasia and intervention
Depression rates at 62% for people with aphasia. Remains for about 10 years at 29%. One of the strongest predictors of ongoing post-stroke depression is high distress/depression in the early stages. Aphasia often EXCLUDED from mental health services - not accessible for them
Depression influences post-stroke outcomes. We need to address this in aphasia. The evidence base isn't strong (e.g. due to historical exclusion of aphasia from talking therapies). Peer befriending is a low cost intervention for those with low distress levels post aphasia
Outcome measures for aphasia: GHQ-12 (primary, for emotional distress). Secondary: CPIB, SWEMWBS, CIQ, Friendship Scale, CCRSA. Also measured wellbeing etc of significant others and peer-befrienders.
Intervention content in paper …https://pilotfeasibilitystudies.biomedcentral.com/track/pdf/10.1186/s40814-019-0397-6.pdf People with chronic aphasia (who were trained and received supervision) visited others with very newly acquired aphasia to provide roughly 6 hours of peer-befriending (visiting 6 times for an hour a time).
Recruited people in the hospital post-stroke (which is quite challenging). Randomised 56 people to either peer befriending (28) or control (28). 1/4 had severe or very severe aphasia - important to show peer-befriending works with those of all severities.
There were 10 people with chronic aphasia who provided the intervention to the 28 who received it. It was acceptable (52/56 completed - 3 died, 1 withdrew). Qualitative data gathered from both groups and will be published soon.
Quantitative outcomes: GHQ-12 - benefit for the intervention group, and seemed to show decline in distress in intervention group at 10 months post. On the other secondary measures, the differences weren't as great and numbers in the study weren't large enough to prove efficacy.
People with aphasia can help others with aphasia and low levels of distress to manage their distress and this seems to be maintained at 10 months after the intervention.
