Community aphasia groups

5.22 In addition to individual therapy delivered by speech pathologists, aphasia rehabilitation can include community aphasia groups.

References: Attard et al., 2015: Narrative review; Lanyon et al., 2013: Systematic review of 29 studies (12 pre-post test case series, 10 single-case design studies, 4 RCTs, 3 non-randomised controlled trials); Lanyon et al., 2018: Qualitative study; Pettigrove et al., 2022: Scoping review of 177 publications

NHMRC Levels of Evidence: III-3

Rationale: The evidence indicates that community and outpatient group participation can improve specific linguistic processes (Lanyon et al. 2013). While there is limited evidence demonstrating improvement in functional communication as a consequence of group participation (Lanyon et al. 2013), research has shown that participation in community aphasia groups can benefit social participation, and community access for people with aphasia (Lanyon et al., 2013; Lanyon et al., 2018). People with aphasia and their family, friends and carers also report a wide range of benefits to psychological wellbeing from attending aphasia groups, including forming positive relations with others, purpose in life, environmental mastery, autonomy, personal growth, and self-acceptance (Attard et al., 2015).

Speech pathologists can facilitate access to aphasia groups by fostering relationships with and referring their clients to local aphasia groups. These groups may be led by professional (e.g., speech pathologists, other healthcare workers) or non-professional facilitators (e.g., trained volunteers, students, peers with aphasia). Dedicated community aphasia group facilitator training is recommended (Pettigrove et al., 2022), as unskilled facilitation can lead to negative outcomes for group members, especially those with more severe aphasia (Lanyon, et al., 2018).

References: 

1. Attard, M.C., Lanyon, L., Togher, L., & Rose, M.L. (2015). Consumer perspectives on community aphasia groups: A narrative literature review in the context of psychological well-being. Aphasiology, 29(8), 983-1019. DOI: 10.1080/02687038.2015.1016888
2. Lanyon,  L. E., Rose, M. L., & Worrall, L. (2013). The efficacy of outpatient and community-based aphasia group interventions: a systematic review. International Journal of Speech Language Pathology, 15(4), 359-374. DOI: 10.3109/17549507.2012.752865
3. Lanyon, L., Worrall, L., & Rose, M. (2018). Exploring participant perspectives of community aphasia group participation: From “I know where I belong now” to “Some people didn’t really fit in”. Aphasiology 32(2): 139-163. DOI: 10.1080/02687038.2017.1396574
4. Pettigrove, K., Lanyon, L. E., Attard, M. C., Vuong, G., & Rose, M. L. (2022). Characteristics and impacts of community aphasia group facilitation: a systematic scoping review. Disability and Rehabilitation, 44(22), 6884–6898. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2021.1971307