Coping with aphasia: Conversations with 20 aphasic people

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Abstract
This qualitative study investigates the ways in which 20 aphasic people, and in some cases their partners, are coping with mild aphasia. The investigation considers two aspects of coping. Firstly, coping is defined as the maintenance of an overall sense of meaning and value. This is assessed through the use of a rating of level of satisfaction with life. Secondly, the use of particular coping strategies and styles is delineated. Although the majority of people interviewed report a deterioration in levels of life satisfaction since the onset of aphasia, some report an improvement. Factors perceived as the cause of deterioration and improvement are varied and multifaceted. The informants demonstrate and report idiosyncratic combinations of coping strategies. It is argued that systematic investigation of coping is a necessary precursor to functional therapy, as particular styles and strategies may not combine well with goals defined without this understanding. As many of the processes of adapting to a chronic condition are understood to involve language, the effect of aphasia upon the ability to operate coping strategies is questioned. The need for a longitudinal study of coping with the consequences and significance of aphasia is discussed.