Introduction: Stroke is one of the major health problems for the elderly population all over the world and it affects about 15 million people every year. This situation got worse in recent years; as stroke increased, aphasia cases increased dramatically. Aphasia is a syndrome which, by definition, is an acquired language disorder and it is the most common language disorder in adults. Aphasia is seen in 30% of the cases after stroke. Aphasia impacts the entire life of both the aphasic individual and his/her close relatives. Therefore, aphasia is not only a language disorder as it affects social roles, family roles and professional identities. Studies on the lives of aphasic individuals have shown they have problems with reading, writing, speaking and auditory comprehension as well as difficulties with daily activities such as speaking on the phone, reading newspapers, watching television. This study is a descriptive study questioning the perceptions of the aphasic individuals and their relatives about communication problems. Method: Questionnaire for Determining Communication Problems in Adult Aphasia Individuals' (Shewan and Cameron, 1984) used in this study includes 13 items. The questionnaire requires the responders to rate the statements such as how the individuals with aphasia feel about themselves, whether their privacy is respected or whether they feel informed about what is happening around them or how they feel about the pace and volume of the conversation around them. 33 aphasic individuals and 33 of their significant others participated in the survey. The ratings of the aphasic individuals were their own views. However, the statements the significant others rated, although the same in content, were worded such that they reflected what the significant others observed about the aphasic individual and the people around them, or how the significant others thought the aphasic would respond. The responders rated each statement on a five-point Likert scale (0-4) on whether they found the statements to be bothersome. The responses of the aphasic individuals were compared to those of their significant others. Also, the responses were examined in terms of the factors of age, gender, educational status and time since stroke. Results: There was a positive and significant correlation between scores of aphasic individuals and their relatives (r =.496, p<.01). No significant difference was observed between the responses of the two groups (t (64)= .087, p>.05). It was observed that ‘type of aphasia’ was a factor that influenced the perceptions of the communication problems of aphasic individuals. However, gender, age, educational status, time since stroke did not. The perceptions of the relatives were not affected by any of the above variables. Most of the responses of the aphasics were 3 or 4 on the Likert scale while their relatives preferred 2 or 3. Discussion: The perceptions of individuals with aphasia and their significant others about their communication problems and related issues show considerable similarities. However, the aphasics themselves seem to regard the problems as more as severe than their significant others. Attempts to solve the communication problems of aphasic individuals should also involve the significant others around them.
Keywords
aphasia, aphasic individuals, communication, communication problems, primary relatives
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