Art Therapy as a Complementary Treatment to Address Psychosocial Wellbeing of Aphasia Patients

Abstract

Aphasia is an acquired neurological disorder resulting from traumatic brain injuries that affect patients’ ability to process various aspects of language. Aphasia patients most notably have difficulty communicating effectively and expressing their thoughts verbally. Because aphasia is a language processing disorder, it does not affect a patient’s intelligence, hearing, or muscle activity. Due to the sudden inability to perform previously attainable tasks, this disorder may drastically affect the mental health of a patient. Currently, aphasia patients are merely directed to traditional speech and language therapy, as speech and language therapists aim to improve aphasia patients’ muscle movements and ultimately help recover their ability to speak. Seeking mental health care may be restrictive due to costs and difficulty navigating the system.  While art therapy has been a subject of interest in aiding the treatment of patients with neurological disorders in general, it has not yet been fully explored in the context of aphasia treatments, which prioritize the exercise of motor skills. Though there have been recent studies showing art therapy’s promise in improving mental health, there is a lack of interest in implementing methods other than speech and language therapy. My paper emphasizes the importance of mental health in aphasia patients, establishes the benefits of art therapy, and proposes long-term art therapy programs that are accessible and informative to be complemented with speech and language therapies at medical offices and aphasia centers. Future research should assess the effectiveness of speech and language therapy in concert with complementary art therapy.