The relevance of emotional and psychosocial factors in aphasia to rehabilitation

In this paper we review the relationship between the impact of aphasia and emotional well-being. Depression is one of several types of emotional response that has been researched most and we examine the different causes of depression for people with aphasia. We discuss the relationships between recovery and emotional state and the clinical and psychosocial implications of these relationships. We examine methods for assessment of emotional response and psychosocial evaluation and review implications for rehabilitation. We discuss briefly issues of drug treatment for depression in aphasic people. We conclude that the emotional impact of aphasia can have a marked negative impact on recovery, response to rehabilitation, and psychosocial adjustment.