COPING WITH APHASIA - CONVERSATIONS WITH 20 APHASIC PEOPLE

This qualitative study investigates the ways in which 20 aphasic peopl e, and in some cases their partners, are coping with mild aphasia. The investigation considers two aspects of coping. Firstly, coping is def ined 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 dete rioration in levels of life satisfaction since the onset of aphasia, s ome report an improvement. Factors perceived as the cause of deteriora tion and improvement are varied and multifaceted. The informants demon strate and report idiosyncratic combinations of coping strategies. It is argued that systematic investigation of coping is a necessary precu rsor to functional therapy, as particular styles and strategies may no t 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 co ping strategies is questioned. The need for a longitudinal study of co ping with the consequences and significance of aphasia is discussed.