THE LONG-TIME EFFECTS OF GROUP THERAPY INTERVENTION ON MARRIAGE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN FLUENT AND NON-FLUENT APHASIC PATIENTS AND THEIR SPOUSES: WHO BENEFITS THE MOST?

Abstract

Our study aims to assess the long-time effects of group therapy intervention on marriage communication between fluent and non-fluent aphasic patients and their spouses. From the initial cohort of 150 couples four experimental groups have been selected, each comprising 20 subjects: (1) patients with fluent aphasia (FAP) (2) patients with fluent aphasia spouses (FAPS) (3) patients with non-fluent aphasia (NFAP) (4) patients with non-fluent aphasia spouses (NFAPS). All aphasic patients had mild or moderate fluent or nonfluent aphasia, as confirmed by the Cracow Neuropsychological Battery for Aphasia Examination – CNBA (Pąchalska, 1999). To assess the 3 aspects of interactions between spouses: support, engagement and depreciation we use the Communication in Marriage Questionnaire – KKM scores (Kaźmierczak, Plopa, 2008). These patients attended the groups sessions administered according to Pąchalska’s Model of Aphasia Group Therapy (1991a; 1991b) . It was found that after the long-time group intervention the experimental and the control groups of aphasic patients as well as their spouses differ one from another. NFAP as well as FAP therapy patients had higher KKM scores in the support received from their spouses and their spouses engagement in communication and lower scores in depreciation in their spouses’ behavior than did the controls. Also NFAPS evaluated support and engagement expressed by their aphasic partner higher than the control group. However FAPS and the control group KKM scores were quite similar, except for the support expressed by their aphasic partner. Long-time group therapy for patients with aphasia with the presence of caregivers not only improves the communication with significant others but also it is associated with better marital interactions and communication after therapy as reflected in the KKM scores than in the case of the controls, and improves the patient’s and caregivers’ perception of quality of life.