Knowledge, Beliefs, and Experiences With Mental Health Services and Help-Seeking in People With Aphasia and Care Partners.

Purpose: Supporting psychological well-being in persons with aphasia (PWA) can improve social and health outcomes; however, PWA and their care partners (CPs) are often not receiving mental health support. Previous research explores this from the perspective of health care professionals.

Aims: The aim of this study was to examine knowledge, beliefs, and experiences related to mental health services directly from PWA and CPs.

Community: the key to building and extending engagement for individuals with aphasia.

The response by the aphasia community to the call of the Life Participation Approach to Aphasia Project Team to offer a framework for the management of aphasia was swift and expansive. Speech pathologists across the world accepted the paradigm shift from language goals within the clinic office to the short-term and long-term life objectives of their clients. The definition of service now included access to those communicative barriers that persons with aphasia face within their community.

The dignity of struggle.

The theme of this article focuses on the survivors' ability to participate in life as fully as they choose and the way in which individuals in those persons' lives can support this objective. A description of how the adult onset of communication disorders can affect self-image and self-identity is provided. Persons with aphasia are encouraged to consider various issues: What do individuals have control over at each level of their recovery versus what choices are made for them? What communicative power do individuals have and what environmental barriers are at play? Variables that define dignity along each stage of recovery are outlined.