How do you do talk therapy with someone who can’t talk? Perspectives from mental health providers on delivering services to individuals with aphasia

Purpose: Aphasia is correlated with depression and anxiety, and it has a negative impact on quality of life. Aphasia is also frequently misunderstood among mental health care providers. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of mental health providers who provide services to people living with aphasia. Method: Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to analyze interviews of six mental health providers who had some experience in providing services to people with aphasia. Results: Three main themes among mental health care providers’ experiences providing services to people with aphasia were identified: barriers, interprofessional collaboration, and therapy looks different. Subthemes associated with barriers included insufficient training and knowledge of aphasia, the stigma of receiving mental health services, and accessibility to services. Subthemes related to interdisciplinary collaboration included referrals, knowledge and awareness, and strategies and tools. Subthemes supporting therapy looks different included a new approach to therapy and challenges. Conclusions: Mental health providers’ experiences reveal the need for an action-oriented approach to overcome barriers, a nontraditional approach to talk therapy for people with aphasia, and increased collaboration with speech-language pathologists (SLPs). Future research should explore expanding the collaboration between SLPs and mental health providers to increase shared knowledge and skills in issues related to reducing depression and anxiety to support the well-being of people with aphasia.