ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Acquired brain injury (ABI) is a common comorbidity in the psychiatric population. Consequences of ABI, including social communication problems, negatively affect friendships. However, current speech pathology practices regarding friendships after ABI remain unknown. AIM: To monitor perspectives, practices and facilitating as well as limiting factors with regard to these practices of Dutch speech therapists regarding friendships after ABI. METHOD: Survey study on whether, why, and how speech therapists do (not) perform work on friendships after ABI. RESULTS: Up to 90% of the 36 participating speech therapists believed that work related to friendships after ABI falls within the scope of their responsibilities. 78% of the speech therapists actually performed such activities. The most frequently mentioned facilitating factor in activities regarding friendship was the presence of supporting material, e.g. educational modules. The most frequently reported barrier was the very limited existence of social networks of persons with ABI. CONCLUSIONS: Work activities by speech therapists regarding friendships after ABI are numerous. Speech therapists are in need of material that can be used to support their work on friendships.
Subject(s)
Brain Injuries , Friends , Humans , Speech , Brain Injuries/psychology , Surveys and Questionnaires , ComorbidityABSTRACT
Communication disorders can arise as a consequence of right hemispheric brain injury due to, for example, stroke. These disorders can comprise language comprehension, language production and pragmatic language use. If these problems are not recognised in time, treatment will probably focus on behavioural problems, which would lead to further deterioration of the patient due to an escalation in interaction. We present a patient in whom this situation occured. However, by addressing her underlying communication problem, we were able to improve her quality of life.