IMPROVEMENT IN PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING OF PEOPLE WITH APHASIA AND THEIR FAMILIES - EVALUATION OF A COMMUNITY-BASED PROGRAM

The York-Durham Aphasia Centre comprises a community-based programme f or people with aphasia and their families. Tt offers long-term support and service at any time post-stroke or head injury. This evaluation f ocused on improvement in psychosocial well-being in the clients and th eir family members as a measure of programme effectiveness. Trained pr ogramme volunteers administered Ryff's Psychological Well-being Scale to 35 clients twice, at 6 months apart. Twelve family members also sel f-administered the scale twice. Volunteers handled the administration well, and aphasic clients were able to complete the scale with little difficulty. Both clients and family members showed positive change in five of six dimensions of psychological well-being. This improvement i n both groups may be related to the direct attention the programmes gi ve to psychosocial well-being and communication, the overall environme nt of the centre, and the test administration itself. The positive cha nge in these aphasic clients of varying ages and time post-stroke mean s that improvement in psychological well-being is possible regardless of time poststroke and age. There are important implications for healt h and social service system planning, and more specifically for progra mme planning for people with aphasia and their families.