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Table 1. Studies demonstrating benefits of group treatment in terms of ICF components and QOL measures Study ICF components and QOL measures in which benefits were demonstrated Body Functions & Activities & Environmental Structures Participation Factors Personal Factors Quality Of Life Pulvermuller et al. (2005) Aachen Aphasia Test

subtests (naming, comprehension, & Token Test)

Wertz et al. (1981)

PICA Word Fluency

Conversation rating Informants’ rating

Token Test

Bollinger et al. (1993)

PICA

CADL

Elman & Bernstein-Ellis

WAB

CADL

Qualitative interviews

(1999a; 1999b)

Qualitative interviews

Qualitative interviews

Aten et al. (1982)

CADL

Ross et al. (2006)

CAPPA-B

Vickers (2010)

Survey of Communi-

Social network

cation and Social

frequency of contact

Participation

Friendship scale

Brumfitt & Sheeran (1997)

Functional Communi-

Stutterer’s Self-

cation Profile

Ratings of Reactions to Speech Situations Scale

Hoen et al. (1997)

5 of the Ryff’s psychological well- being scales

Note. PICA = Porch Index of Communicative Ability (Porch, 1967); CADL = Communicative Abilities in Daily Living test (Holland, 1980); WAB = Western Aphasia Battery (Kertesz, 1982); CAPPA-B = Conversational Analysis Profile for People with Aphasia Part B (Whitworth et al., 1997).

Conclusion The review has provided evidence that the benefits of aphasia group treatments are varied, spreading across all four components of the ICF , in addition to QOL (see Table 1). Most of the benefits were demonstrated in relation to Activities and Participation, with seven of the nine studies identifying benefits in this area. Clinicians can use these findings to develop evidence-based aphasia group therapy that targets specific types of benefits. The paper has also highlighted that there is not always a congruence between the reported goals of the treatment groups and the outcome measures used to determine the effectiveness of the groups. One factor that may contribute to this problem is the lack of appropriate measures for assessing the wide-ranging goals of aphasia treatment groups (Kearns & Elman, 2008). Garrett and Pimentel (2007) have identified a number of instruments such as the Communication Interaction Rating Scale for Aphasia Group that clinicians may use to overcome this difficulty. This review has also found that groups can provide indirect benefits such as support from other people in the group that might not be explicitly identified within the goals of the treatment. SPs need to be aware of these potential indirect benefits of groups in order to provide better assessment of and treatment in their aphasia groups. Further research regarding the benefits of groups for people with aphasia is needed. Investigations into the efficacy of group therapy, the types of participants who benefit from different types of groups, and the optimum frequency and intensity of groups is required. One key area that has not been explored is the perceptions of people with aphasia regarding the benefits of being involved in groups (both aphasia treatment and other). Research in these different

areas can inform clinical practice so that SPs can provide evidence-based group therapy for their clients with aphasia. References American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (2001). Scope of practice in speech-language pathology . Rockville, MD: Author. Aten, J., Caligiuri, M., & Holland, A. (1982). The efficacy of functional communication therapy for chronic aphasic patients. Journal of Speech and Hearing Disorders , 47, 93–96. Avent, J. (1997). Group treatment in aphasia using cooperative learning methods. Journal of Medical Speech- Language Pathology , 5 , 9–26. Blackstone, S., & Hunt-Berg, M. (2003). Social networks: A communication inventory for individuals with complex communication needs and their communication partners . Monterey, CA: Augmentative Communication. Bollinger, R., Musson, N., & Holland, A. (1993). A study of group communication intervention with chronically aphasic persons. Aphasiology , 7 , 301–313. Borenstein, P., Linell, S., & Wahrborg, P. (1987). An innovative therapeutic program for aphasia patients and their relatives. Scandinavian Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine , 19 , 51–56. Borkowski, J., Benton, A., & Spreen, O. (1967). Word fluency and brain damage. Neuropsychologia , 5 , 135–140. Brumfitt, S., & Sheeran, P. (1997). An evaluation of short- term group therapy for people with aphasia. Disability and Rehabilitation , 19 , 221–230. Cambridge University Press. (2010). Cambridge advanced learner’s dictionary online . Retrieved from http://dictionary. cambridge.org

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ACQ Volume 13, Number 1 2011

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