Short Report

Abstract

Background : Most aphasia therapists appear to assume that people with aphasia undergo psychological distress that is associated with communication problems. However, the relationship between aphasia and psychological status has not been sufficiently investigated. Aim : The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between verbal communication and psychological status in people with aphasia. Methods & Procedure : A total of 25 people with aphasia were assessed by the Observational Profile of Communication (OPC), the Questionnaire of Verbal Communication (QVC), and the Standard Language Test of Aphasia (SLTA). Two items of the OPC—Interpersonal Attitude and Emotional State—were used as measures of psychological status. Two domains of the QVC—Receptive Ability and Expressive Ability—were used as measures of verbal communication activity. The overall scoring system of the SLTA was used to rate the severity of aphasia. Correlations were calculated between the OPC and other variables, namely, Receptive Ability, Expressive Ability, the SLTA, age, and time since onset. The group effects of gender and aphasia type were examined. Outcome & Results : Interpersonal Attitude had a moderate and significant correlation with Receptive Ability, but not with Expressive Ability, the SLTA, age, and time since onset. Emotional State had moderate and significant correlations with the SLTA and time since onset, but not with Receptive Ability, Expressive Ability, and age. Gender and aphasia type did not have a significant relationship with the measures of psychological status. Conclusions : The relationship between verbal communication and psychological status was not straightforward in this small exploratory study. The severity of the communication problem in aphasic people does not necessarily appear to relate to psychological status.