Supporting partners of people with aphasia in relationships and conversation (SPPARC)- the impact of the aphasia family support program on relatives of individuals with aphasia : a study from Türkiye

Abstract

Aims This study aimed to translate the SPPARC family program, which was prepared for the relatives and loved ones of individuals with aphasia, into Turkish and to investigate its effects on the psychosocial status of the families Methods This study was conducted with 40 participants (28 female, 12 male, mean age 42 +7.82 years, range 20-65 years). Participants were over 18 years old, lived in the same household as the individual with aphasia or played an active caregiving role, were native Turkish speakers, and had technology literacy. Participants were allocated into two groups: experimental and control. Outcome measures included the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS), the Caregiver Burden Scale (CBS), and the World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale (WHOQOL-BREF). The significance level was set at p<.05. Results Pre-test scores did not differ significantly between groups. Post-program analyses indicated that participants in the experimental group showed significant reductions in depression, anxiety, and stress compared to pre-test scores, while the control group showed no improvements. Between-group analyses also favored the experimental group for DASS total, depression, anxiety, and CBS scores (all p < .05). Conclusion The Turkish adaptation of the Aphasia Family Support Programme (Phase 1 of SPPARC) may have positive effects on psychological well-being and caregiver burden.