Do caregivers’ personality and emotional intelligence modify their perception of relationship and communication with people with aphasia?

Abstract

Background There is a wide agreement that family and friends of people with aphasia (PWA) can play a crucial role in the rehabilitation of interpersonal communication. Therefore, speech and language therapists (SLTs) should include family and friends in the process of therapy. However, little has been said about the role of caregivers of severely disabled PWA in the rehabilitation of communication functions. Aims To examine how caregivers of severely disabled PWA perceive their relationship and communication with PWA, how they facilitate communication with PWA, and whether the caregiver's personality and emotional intelligence modify the abovementioned processes. Methods & Procedures The study involved 123 caregivers of severely disabled stroke survivors with aphasia. Participants took part in a structured interview based on a structured interview guide created for the purpose of this study. The standardized psychological questionnaires NEO Five‐Factor Inventory (NEO‐FFI) and Schutte Emotional Intelligence Scale (SEIS) were used. Outcomes & Results The caregiver's positive attitude towards the PWA correlated with the active facilitation of communication. The personality traits of caregivers and their level of emotional intelligence were associated with the tendency to use certain techniques to facilitate communication with PWA. Conclusions & Implications Caregivers’ positive attitude towards PWA is beneficial for the rehabilitation of communicative functions. Personality traits and emotional intelligence could modify the caregiver's strategy of coping with aphasia‐related challenges and should be taken into consideration when providing support.