Survey of mental health care for people with poststroke aphasia: Mixed-methods analysis

People with poststroke aphasia (PWA) are at increased risk for developing symptoms of depression. However, access to mental health (MH) care is often limited for this population. The goal of this study was to survey clinicians about current practices and specifically to examine (1) whether they work with PWA, (2) how often they observe symptoms of mood disorders in PWA, (3) how often these symptoms are treated, (4) who provides treatment for PWA, (5) what treatment consists of, and (6a) what training clinicians receive and (6b) provide for their trainees.

A 19-question multiple-choice and free-response survey was shared widely with clinicians.

One hundred sixteen participants responded to at least 80% of the survey. The respondents were grouped as: MH and non-MH providers. Among MH and non-MH providers, most observed mood symptoms in PWA at least half the time, though the majority reported PWA receiving behavioral interventions for depression only sometimes/rarely. Responses regarding who provides care and what types of care are provided were mixed. Only 24% of MH and 9% of non-MH providers reported receiving specific training to address mood disorders in PWA, and more supervisors reported teaching MH trainees to work with people with language disorders than teaching non-MH providers to provide mental health care.

The path for receiving and providing MH treatment for PWA does not appear to be standardized, which may contribute to gaps in services. Considerations for collaborative training and treatment are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).