Maori with aphasia: a people without a voice?

AIM: This literature review aimed to investigate whether Maori with aphasia and their whanau are being included in research. A second aim was to identify what, if any, specific outcomes or concerns have been reported. Although the prevalence and incidence of aphasia in the Maori population is unknown, it is likely to be relatively high, given the high rate of stroke among Maori. METHODS: We provide a background to Maori health, stroke, aphasia and rehabilitation. A standard review of the literature was conducted in the online databases PsycINFO, ScienceDirect, PubMed, MEDLINE, CINAHL Plus, and Google Scholar. We searched "Maori" AND "aphasia" and "Maori" AND "dysphasia" as "anywhere in text" and as a keyword with no limits placed on publication dates. CONCLUSIONS: The search revealed no articles that involve Maori with aphasia and none that address aphasia in the Maori population. Four articles involved Maori participants with stroke or a condition linked to communication disorders and specifically addressed either culture or ethnicity in their observations or results. We consider possible explanations for this apparent lack of Maori with aphasia as participants in research, and conclude that the investigation of aphasia in Maori requires an approach that involves Maori with aphasia and their whanau, in a way that is culturally appropriate enabling them to have a voice.