Effects of a short educational program about aphasia (SEPA) on the burden and quality of life of family caregivers of people with aphasia

Abstract

Purpose: To develop a short educational program about aphasia (SEPA) for family caregivers of people with aphasia and verify its effect in their burden and quality of life. Methods: This is a quantitative experimental study. The participants included in the study were family caregivers of people with aphasia. They completed the Zarit interview scale and WHOQOL-Bref instruments pre- and post-intervention. The intervention was a short educational program about aphasia, administered in a group setting and conducted in two didactic sessions. Results: Four participants were included in the study. In the group analysis, there was no significant difference in any measure. However, looking into the individual performances, all participants presented a trend for improvement in most of the scores. Conclusion: Possibly, family caregivers of people with aphasia might benefit from the SEPA. It would be relevant for future studies to include larger samples and consider new strategies to improve inclusion of participants.