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Introduction
International studies show a relation between functional dysphonia and mental disorders. The aim of this study was to determine a correlation between functional dysphonia, anxiety and depression for Germany. Methods
A cross-sectional study including 66 patients with functional voice disorder was conducted. The data was collected using standardized self-reported instruments for measuring voice disorders (VHI-30), anxiety and depression (HADS-D, STADI (T)).
Results
High self-assessment values for dysphonia indicate a higher probability of anxiety and depression. A high value in HADS-D predict a high value in VHI-30.
Conclusion
For this sample a relation between voice disorders, anxiety and depression has been proven.
Background:
People with aphasia (PWA) often have a reduced quality of life. Nevertheless, there are currently only a few specific services that respond to this problem. Hence, there is a pressing need for action to improve participation and well-being of people with aphasia. An adapted social network could be a solution. Well-being could be increased by exchanging experiences with peers in a similar situation. Moreover, comprehensive digital coverage would also be possible in rural and underserved areas. This digital social network should be adapted to the specific needs of PWA. Therefore, a participatory, agile process with the involvement of the target group should be adopted.
Aim:
The aim is to develop and evaluate a social media platform as a smartphone app to support the social integration of PWA and to improve their quality of life. In addition to the digital exchange, face-to-face meetings between PWA should be stimulated.
Design:
The study will be conducted in a randomised pretest-posttest control group design with follow-up testing. The participants will be randomly assigned to the experimental intervention (36 participants) or the control intervention (36 participants). The primary outcome is quality of life, measured with the SAQOL-39. At all measurement times, psychological well-being is recorded with the help of two measuring instruments (GHQ-12 & DISCs). The secondary outcome is the recording of social contacts and activities as well as associated emotions, registered in a structured diary. In addition, communication skills (measured with the CPIB) and social support (recorded with the F-SozU) will be examined.
Method:
During the first project phase, a user-centred, agile development process will be adopted to design the app. The target group will be involved in the app development in a participatory manner. A workshop is planned for the users of the app. In the second phase, the usability and user-friendliness of the app will first be evaluated in a feasibility study. Subsequently, in the main study, the app will then be tested by the target group for 4 months.
Discussion:
The app developed in the research project is the first social network that is tailored to the needs and capabilities of PWA. It aims to enable better exchange between PWA to improve social participation and quality of life.
Erworbene Sprach- oder Sprechstörungen haben nicht nur Konsequenzen für die Patient*innen wegen ihrer beeinträchtigten Sprach- oder Sprechleistungen, sondern wirken sich auch auf ihr gesamtes soziales Umfeld aus. Denn Kommunikationsschwierigkeiten führen oft zu Veränderungen der Selbstidentität und der Beziehungen der Betroffenen. Es kann zu Resignation, Frustration, Vermeidungsverhalten gegenüber kommunikativen Situationen und sozialem Rückzug kommen. Aphasien und Dysarthrien betreffen damit in der sozialen Teilhabe Unterhaltungen im Familien- und Freundeskreis, am Arbeitsplatz oder in der Öffentlichkeit. Um die Veränderungen erfassen zu können, werden ein personzentriertes Verständnis der Sprech- und Sprachstörungen sowie eine genaue Erfassung der Symptomatik und der daraus resultierenden Einschränkungen benötigt. Dazu steht eine Reihe von Testverfahren zur Verfügung, die verschiedene Parameter erfassen. Die personzentrierte Therapie bezieht sich gleichermaßen auf Körperfunktion, Aktivitäten und Teilhabe sowie auf Umweltfaktoren. Neben der Aufgabe, die Erwartungen, Hoffnungen und Wünsche der Patient*innen wahrzunehmen und zu verstehen, gilt es, Therapieansätze der jeweils bestehenden Symptomatik und den Zielen anzupassen und – auch im Zuge der zunehmenden Forderung nach evidenzbasierten Behandlungsmethoden – kritisch zu hinterfragen.
Background:
Aphasia is often associated with psychosocial changes that may affect health-related quality of life, risk of depression or social participation. One possible intervention to address these psychosocial changes is peer contact. However, this often requires professional support (e.g. supervised support groups), whereas a digital option may allow for autonomous, asynchronous peer contact. Therefore, we developed an app adapted to the specific needs of people with aphasia to stimulate digital and analogue interactions.
Aims:
The aim of the study was to evaluate a tailored app for people with aphasia that can be used to establish peer contact and enable digital and analogue interactions. The impact of using the app on health-related quality of life, social participation and depression prevention was analysed.
Methods & Procedures:
The study design was a pre-post wait-list-controlled comparison in which half of the participants (n = 18) waited three months before starting the intervention, and the other half of the participants (n = 18) started the intervention immediately. During the intervention, the app was used by all participants (n = 36) for three months after a training session, followed by three months of optional app use until follow-up. Health-related quality of life (SAQOL39g, GHQ-12), communicative participation (CPIB), social support (F-SozU), depression markers (GDS, DISCs), and activity in the app were recorded at each time point. Analyses were mainly non-parametric to calculate changes during the intervention and to compare the intervention with the waiting period. The study is registered in the German Register of Clinical Trials (DRKS00023855).
Outcomes & Results:
SAQOL-39g data improved significantly for the whole group during the intervention period (z = -3.043, p = 0.002, r = -0.598), but not during the waiting period (z = 0.402, p = 0.705). Scores remained stable until follow-up, and there was no worsening of depression markers over the entire period. No linear correlation was found between the improvement in SAQOL-39g and activity in the app (p = 0.329, r = 0.167).
Conclusions:
People with aphasia were able to use the app and showed an intervention-specific effect on health-related quality of life. The amount of activity in the app seems to be less critical for changes. Other factors, such as feeling connected to peers, appear to be relevant. Future studies should explore who might benefit most from the app.
Die Entwicklung einer an die spezifischen Bedürfnisse von Menschen mit Aphasie angepassten Smartphone-basierten App erfordert einen umfangreichen Entwicklungsprozess. Dabei ist es wichtig, die Zielgruppe von Anfang an in den Prozess einzubeziehen, um die spezifischen Wünsche und Anforderungen an die App erfassen und in den Entwicklungsprozess integrieren zu können. In diesem Beitrag wird die nutzerzentrierte, partizipative Entwicklung der App PeerPAL vorgestellt. Mit der App sollen neben einem digitalen Austausch auch reale Face-to-Face-Treffen stimuliert werden mit dem Ziel, die autonome Vernetzung unter den Betroffenen zu fördern und dadurch die Lebensqualität von Menschen mit Aphasie zu steigern.
Background:
People with aphasia (PWA) often suffer from reduced participation and quality of life. Nevertheless, there are currently only a few specific interventions that respond to this problem. Participation and quality of life could be increased by interacting with peers who have similar experiences. Digital social networks could stimulate an autonomous interaction. However, digital social networks need to be adapted to the specific needs of PWA. Therefore, a participatory, agile process involving the target group should be chosen to develop such a olution, i.e., an app. The research project consists of a total of three phases. In the first phase—app development—the app was developed and programmed including the target group. In the second phase—app testing—the usability and user-friendliness of the app were evaluated with four PWA. In the third phase—feasibility and preliminary effcacy—that will be described in the article, the impact of the app on PWA will be evaluated.
Aims:
The overarching aim of our study is to provide preliminary effcacy of the intervention. Digital social interaction with other PWA can lead to increased social integration. In addition to digital interaction, personal encounters between PWA should be encouraged. As a result, we expect an improvement in quality of life of PWA. Additionally, we focus on identification of the most appropriate measurements to discover changes associated with the intervention.
Methods:
The evaluation, which is described in this paper, takes place in a pre-test - post-test design with a total of n = 48 PWA. Participants will be recruited in regional clusters to facilitate face-to-face meetings. Half of the participants will be assigned to the delayed intervention group and the other half to the immediate intervention group. Participants in the delayed intervention group will go through a 3-month waiting period before using the app, while the participants of the immediate intervention group will start using the app for 3 months right away. Inclusion criteria are the presence of chronic aphasia (at least 6 months) and possession of a smartphone with internet access. Questionnaires on quality of life (SAQOL-39, GHQ-12), depression (GDS, DISCs), communicative participation (CPIB), and social support (F-SozU) will be conducted at inclusion (t0), after 3 months of app use (t1), and after another 3 months for follow-up (t2). Participants in the delayed intervention group will be assessed twice before the intervention, before the 3-month waiting period (t0a) and after the waiting period (t0b). In addition to the quantitative measures, interviews will take place with 6 to 8 selected participants after 3 months of app use. Responses will be analysed using Thematic Analysis.
Discussion:
The app will be the first social network tool that is systematically developed with PWA. Initial indications from the first phases are that the app can be used by PWA, so that the evaluation of this app version can take place in the third phase. Results of this study can provide an initial indication of whether social network support is a suitable intervention. Findings will help provide information on the feasibility of digital connectivity for PWA. Preliminary findings on its impact on the participation and quality of life of PWA could be made available.
Peer-to-peer support in Aphasia: the participants’ perspective on the digital network PeerPAL
(2025)
Background: Aphasia can affect health-related quality of life (HRQL), identity, and social participation. Peer contact can have a positive impact on all three aspects. However, there are barriers to the available offers (e.g., professional guidance), whereas a digital solution enables autonomous peer contact. Therefore, we developed and evaluated a customized application for autonomous, asynchronous peer contact that encourages social activities and interaction. The qualitative evaluation in this study includes evaluation of the application and psychosocial changes during the intervention. Quantitative data are published elsewhere. Method: We conducted interviews with 11 people with aphasia who had participated in our pre–post mixed-methods study. The interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis guided by a codebook. Results: Responses were categorized into use and evaluation of the application (three themes) and psychosocial changes during the intervention (four themes). Most interviewees reported that they would like to use the application in the future. The benefits of peer contact, digital exchange, and, thereby, social activities were positively highlighted. Moreover, there are indications of improvements in HRQL and a change in identity. Negative aspects included a lack of feedback from other participants, too few peers in the geographical area, and missing features and bugs in the application. Discussion/Conclusions: The application is suitable for establishing peer contact, which can lead to psychosocial improvements. It remains to be analyzed who benefits most from the application and at what phase of aphasia. Time since onset, social environment, and previous peer contact should be considered. In the future, a larger sample should be analyzed.