Counseling in Aphasia: Information and Strategies for Speech-Language Pathologists

Author(s):  
Chaleece W. Sandberg ◽  
Kristen Nadermann ◽  
Lauren Parker ◽  
Anne Marie Kubat ◽  
Liza M. Conyers

Purpose The purpose of this tutorial is to provide an overview of mental health concerns of persons with aphasia (PWAs), strategies that speech-language pathologists (SLPs) can use to address the mental health concerns of PWAs within their scope of practice, guidance related to how SLPs can help facilitate access to appropriate mental health services, and suggestions for the future of pre- and postcertification education regarding counseling in aphasia for SLPs. Method This tutorial begins with a case study that is used as a reference point throughout the tutorial. It then introduces the gap in mental health services for PWAs that prompted this work, walks SLPs through common mental health concerns PWAs experience, and provides guidance for SLPs related to counseling techniques they can utilize within their sessions and referral to counseling professionals. We end by reiterating the need for more mental health awareness and training for SLPs and suggestions for incorporating more training related to addressing client mental health concerns and developing effective collaborations with rehabilitation and mental health counselors, as needed. Conclusions The mental health needs of PWAs are not being met. This is partly due to a lack of training in counseling for SLPs and a lack of training in communication techniques for rehabilitation and mental health counselors. With this tutorial, we hope to bring more awareness to the current need for mental health services for PWAs and to provide SLPs with some tools for addressing these needs among their clientele.

10.2196/10032 ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. e10032 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fay Cobb Payton ◽  
Lynette Kvasny Yarger ◽  
Anthony Thomas Pinter

Background A growing number of college students are experiencing personal circumstances or encountering situations that feel overwhelming and negatively affect their academic studies and other aspects of life on campus. To meet this growing demand for counseling services, US colleges and universities are offering a growing variety of mental health services that provide support and services to students in distress. Objective In this study, we explore mental health issues impacting college students using a corpus of news articles, foundation reports, and media stories. Mental health concerns within this population have been on the rise. Uncovering the most salient themes articulated in current news and literature reports can better enable higher education institutions to provide health services to its students. Methods We used SAS Text Miner to analyze 165 references that were published from 2010 to 2015 and focused on mental health among college students. Key clusters were identified to reveal the themes that were most significant to the topic. Results The final cluster analysis yielded six themes in students’ mental health experiences in higher education (ie, age, race, crime, student services, aftermath, victim). Two themes, increasing demand for student services provided by campus counseling centers (113/165, 68.5%) and the increased mental health risks faced by racial and ethnic minorities (30/165, 18.2%), dominated the discourse. Conclusions Higher education institutions are actively engaged in extending mental health services and offering targeted outreach to students of color. Cluster analysis identified that institutions are devoting more and innovative resources in response to the growing number students who experience mental health concerns. However, there is a need to focus on proactive approaches to mitigate the causes of mental health and the aftermath of a negative experience, particularly violence and sexual assault. Such strategies can potentially influence how students navigate their health information seeking and how information and communication technologies, including mobile apps, can partially address the needs of college students.


10.2196/18514 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (10) ◽  
pp. e18514
Author(s):  
Chelsea Stunden ◽  
Julie Zasada ◽  
Nicole VanHeerwaarden ◽  
Elisa Hollenberg ◽  
Alexxa Abi-Jaoudé ◽  
...  

Background Transition-aged youth are particularly vulnerable to mental health problems, yet they are one of the least likely demographic groups to seek help. Objective The aim of this study is to explore the influences on and patterns in help-seeking for mental health concerns among transition-aged youth who attend postsecondary schools in Canada. Methods A qualitative research design was used, involving 12 semistructured focus groups with transition-aged youth (17-29 years) who attended postsecondary schools in Canada. A thematic analysis was conducted to code the transcripts and develop themes. Results Four main themes and subthemes regarding the process and experience of help-seeking were generated: (1) the influence of formal service providers (accessibility and experiences), (2) the influence of social factors (system navigation and stigma), (3) the influence of health literacy (symptom recognition, acting on symptoms, digital tools and the internet, and mental health awareness campaigns), and (4) the influence of low-intensity sources of support, namely, self-help. Conclusions Transition-aged youth seek help for mental health problems in different ways. Despite efforts to improve access to mental health services, transition-aged youth continue to face barriers to accessing these services, especially formal sources of support. The factors identified in this study that either hinder or facilitate help-seeking have pragmatic implications for developing help-seeking interventions and delivering mental health services for this population. In addition to other facilitators, family physicians are an important resource in the help-seeking process. Furthermore, digital help-seeking tools have unique characteristics that may make them an important source of support for transition-aged youth.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chelsea Stunden ◽  
Julie Zasada ◽  
Nicole VanHeerwaarden ◽  
Elisa Hollenberg ◽  
Alexxa Abi-Jaoude ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND Transition-aged youth are particularly vulnerable to mental health problems, yet they are one of the least likely demographic groups to seek help. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to explore influences on and patterns in help-seeking for mental health concerns among transition-aged youth who attend post-secondary school in Canada. METHODS A qualitative research design was used, involving 12 semi-structured focus groups with transition-aged youth (17–29 years) attending Canadian post-secondary schools. Thematic analysis was conducted to code the transcripts and develop themes. RESULTS Four main themes and sub-themes regarding the process and experience of help-seeking were generated: (1) the influence of formal service providers (accessibility; experiences); (2) the influence of social factors (system navigation; stigma); (3) the influence of health literacy (symptom recognition; acting on symptoms; digital tools and the internet; mental health awareness campaigns); and (4) the influence of low-intensity sources of support, namely self-help. CONCLUSIONS Transition-aged youth seek help for mental health problems in different ways. Despite efforts to improve access to mental health services, transition-aged youth continue to face barriers to accessing these services, especially formal sources of support. Factors identified in this study that either hinder or facilitate help-seeking have pragmatic implications for developing help-seeking interventions and delivering mental health services for this population. In addition to other facilitators, family physicians are an important resource in the help-seeking process. Moreover, digital help-seeking tools have unique characteristics that may make these tools an important source of support for transition-aged youth. CLINICALTRIAL


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fay Cobb Payton ◽  
Lynette Kvasny Yarger ◽  
Anthony Thomas Pinter

BACKGROUND A growing number of college students are experiencing personal circumstances or encountering situations that feel overwhelming and negatively affect their academic studies and other aspects of life on campus. To meet this growing demand for counseling services, US colleges and universities are offering a growing variety of mental health services that provide support and services to students in distress. OBJECTIVE In this study, we explore mental health issues impacting college students using a corpus of news articles, foundation reports, and media stories. Mental health concerns within this population have been on the rise. Uncovering the most salient themes articulated in current news and literature reports can better enable higher education institutions to provide health services to its students. METHODS We used SAS Text Miner to analyze 165 references that were published from 2010 to 2015 and focused on mental health among college students. Key clusters were identified to reveal the themes that were most significant to the topic. RESULTS The final cluster analysis yielded six themes in students’ mental health experiences in higher education (ie, age, race, crime, student services, aftermath, victim). Two themes, increasing demand for student services provided by campus counseling centers (113/165, 68.5%) and the increased mental health risks faced by racial and ethnic minorities (30/165, 18.2%), dominated the discourse. CONCLUSIONS Higher education institutions are actively engaged in extending mental health services and offering targeted outreach to students of color. Cluster analysis identified that institutions are devoting more and innovative resources in response to the growing number students who experience mental health concerns. However, there is a need to focus on proactive approaches to mitigate the causes of mental health and the aftermath of a negative experience, particularly violence and sexual assault. Such strategies can potentially influence how students navigate their health information seeking and how information and communication technologies, including mobile apps, can partially address the needs of college students.


2009 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 309-322 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine Tucker ◽  
Andrea Dixon

African-American males living in poverty are among the least likely children and adolescents to receive mental health services in the United States, even though they are the most likely to be referred to mental health agencies for services. In this article the authors explore current problems facing impoverished African American male youth who exhibit symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), their need for mental health services, and the barriers to services that they face, and offer recommendations for mental health counselors.


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