Does COVID-19 Impact Less on Post-stroke Aphasia? This Is Not the Case
BackgroundThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has greatly affected people’s mental health resulting in severe psychological consequences. One of the leading causes of long-term disability worldwide is aphasia. The language changes experienced by a person with aphasia (PWA) often have a...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2020-11-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.564717/full |
| _version_ | 1818351962180026368 |
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| author | Francesca Pisano Alberto Giachero Alberto Giachero Cristian Rugiero Melanie Calati Paola Marangolo Paola Marangolo |
| author_facet | Francesca Pisano Alberto Giachero Alberto Giachero Cristian Rugiero Melanie Calati Paola Marangolo Paola Marangolo |
| author_sort | Francesca Pisano |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BackgroundThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has greatly affected people’s mental health resulting in severe psychological consequences. One of the leading causes of long-term disability worldwide is aphasia. The language changes experienced by a person with aphasia (PWA) often have a sudden and long-lasting negative impact on social interaction, quality of life, and emotional wellbeing. The main aim of this study was to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on the different psychosocial dimensions which affect PWA.MethodsThis retrospective study included 73 PWA and 81 elderly matched controls. All patients were in the chronic phase. They were all discharged from rehabilitation services, which left them with different degrees of language deficits (i.e., severe vs. mild vs. moderate). All participants were administered the hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS) through an online survey. PWA also took part in the stroke and aphasia quality of life scale questionnaire (SAQOL-39).ResultsAlthough the comparison between two different time points [one month before (T0) and one month after the lockdown (T1)] led to a significant increase in depression and anxiety symptoms in both groups (PWA vs. control), lower rates of depression and anxiety were found in PWA compared to the healthy group. Significant deterioration was also present in PWA in the communication and psychosocial scales of the SAQOL-39 test, which correlated with the observed changes in the psychological domains. Interestingly, the results were not significantly influenced by the degree of aphasia severity. Similarly, in both groups, none of the demographic variables (gender, age, and educational level) significantly affected the scores in the different subscales.ConclusionsThis evidence which, at first glance, seems to suggest that PWA have been partially spared from the impact of COVID-19, actually masks a dramatic situation that has always characterized this population. Indeed, given that PWA already live in a state of social isolation and emotional instability, these conditions might have, paradoxically, limited the effects of the coronavirus. However, as our results showed a deterioration in the emotional state and communication skills of our patients, possible solutions are discussed in order to prevent further decline of their cognitive abilities. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T18:46:04Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8fc0d56f4d4c46839f6afc567ea4293b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T18:46:04Z |
| publishDate | 2020-11-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-8fc0d56f4d4c46839f6afc567ea4293b2022-12-21T23:35:03ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782020-11-011110.3389/fpsyg.2020.564717564717Does COVID-19 Impact Less on Post-stroke Aphasia? This Is Not the CaseFrancesca Pisano0Alberto Giachero1Alberto Giachero2Cristian Rugiero3Melanie Calati4Paola Marangolo5Paola Marangolo6Dipartimento di Studi Umanistici, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, ItalyAphasia Experimental Laboratory – Fondazione Carlo Molo Onlus, Turin, ItalyDipartimento di Psicologia, University of Turin, Turin, ItalyAphasia Experimental Laboratory – Fondazione Carlo Molo Onlus, Turin, ItalyAphasia Experimental Laboratory – Fondazione Carlo Molo Onlus, Turin, ItalyDipartimento di Studi Umanistici, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, ItalyIRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, ItalyBackgroundThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has greatly affected people’s mental health resulting in severe psychological consequences. One of the leading causes of long-term disability worldwide is aphasia. The language changes experienced by a person with aphasia (PWA) often have a sudden and long-lasting negative impact on social interaction, quality of life, and emotional wellbeing. The main aim of this study was to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on the different psychosocial dimensions which affect PWA.MethodsThis retrospective study included 73 PWA and 81 elderly matched controls. All patients were in the chronic phase. They were all discharged from rehabilitation services, which left them with different degrees of language deficits (i.e., severe vs. mild vs. moderate). All participants were administered the hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS) through an online survey. PWA also took part in the stroke and aphasia quality of life scale questionnaire (SAQOL-39).ResultsAlthough the comparison between two different time points [one month before (T0) and one month after the lockdown (T1)] led to a significant increase in depression and anxiety symptoms in both groups (PWA vs. control), lower rates of depression and anxiety were found in PWA compared to the healthy group. Significant deterioration was also present in PWA in the communication and psychosocial scales of the SAQOL-39 test, which correlated with the observed changes in the psychological domains. Interestingly, the results were not significantly influenced by the degree of aphasia severity. Similarly, in both groups, none of the demographic variables (gender, age, and educational level) significantly affected the scores in the different subscales.ConclusionsThis evidence which, at first glance, seems to suggest that PWA have been partially spared from the impact of COVID-19, actually masks a dramatic situation that has always characterized this population. Indeed, given that PWA already live in a state of social isolation and emotional instability, these conditions might have, paradoxically, limited the effects of the coronavirus. However, as our results showed a deterioration in the emotional state and communication skills of our patients, possible solutions are discussed in order to prevent further decline of their cognitive abilities.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.564717/fullCOVID-19aphasia (language)strokedepressionanxietypsychosocial well being |
| spellingShingle | Francesca Pisano Alberto Giachero Alberto Giachero Cristian Rugiero Melanie Calati Paola Marangolo Paola Marangolo Does COVID-19 Impact Less on Post-stroke Aphasia? This Is Not the Case Frontiers in Psychology COVID-19 aphasia (language) stroke depression anxiety psychosocial well being |
| title | Does COVID-19 Impact Less on Post-stroke Aphasia? This Is Not the Case |
| title_full | Does COVID-19 Impact Less on Post-stroke Aphasia? This Is Not the Case |
| title_fullStr | Does COVID-19 Impact Less on Post-stroke Aphasia? This Is Not the Case |
| title_full_unstemmed | Does COVID-19 Impact Less on Post-stroke Aphasia? This Is Not the Case |
| title_short | Does COVID-19 Impact Less on Post-stroke Aphasia? This Is Not the Case |
| title_sort | does covid 19 impact less on post stroke aphasia this is not the case |
| topic | COVID-19 aphasia (language) stroke depression anxiety psychosocial well being |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.564717/full |
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