| Abstract: |
The York-Durham Aphasia Centre, a community-based program for people with aphasia and their families, offers long-term support and service at any time post-stroke or head injury. The current study assessed improvement in psychosocial well-being in the clients and their family members as a measure of program effectiveness. 35 clients (31-90 yrs old) were administered Ryff's Psychological Well-Being Scale twice, 6 mo apart. Time post-stroke ranged from 1 to more than 20 yrs. 12 family members also self-administered the scale twice. Results show that aphasic clients were able to complete the scale with little difficulty. Both clients and family members showed positive change in 5 of 6 dimensions of psychological well-being (e.g., self-acceptance, purpose in life, personal growth). This improvement in both groups may be related to the direct attention the program gives to psychosocial well-being and communication, the overall environment of the center, and the test administration itself. The positive change in these aphasic clients suggests that improvement in psychological well-being is possible regardless of time post-stroke and age. |
