title: Living with aphasia: three Indigenous Australian stories.
abstract: The incidence of cardiovascular disorders and stroke in Australian Aboriginal communities is more than twice as high as non-Indigenous Australians. Approximately 30% of people who survive stroke are left with some level of aphasia, and yet Indigenous Australians appear to be infrequent users of speech-language pathology services, and there is virtually no research literature about the experiences of aphasia for this group of people. This paper presents the stories of living with aphasia for three Indigenous Australian men living in Perth, Western Australia. Their narratives were collected by an Indigenous researcher through in-depth, supported interviews, and were explored using both within-case and cross-case analyses for common and recurring themes. It is argued that there is value for speech-language pathologists, and other health professionals, to be aware of the broad experiences of living with aphasia for Indigenous Australians because their stories are rarely heard and because, as with people with aphasia generally, they are at risk of social isolation and tend to lack visibility in the community. This study explores the key issues which emerge for these three men and highlights the need for further research in this area.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology and Social Science, Edith Cowan University, Speech Pathology, SPSS, 270 Joondalup Drive, Joondalup, Perth, WA 6027, Australia. b.armstrong@ecu.edu.au
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Armstrong
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hersh
authors.forename: Colleen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hayward
authors.forename: Joan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fraser
authors.forename: Melita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brown
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D001037:Aphasia / Q000208:ethnology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D033262:Narration; D011788:Quality of Life; D012919:Social Behavior; D014904:Western Australia