Awareness of Aphasia and Aphasia Services in South India: Public Health Implications

Aphasia is a language disorder resulting from brain damage. People who acquire aphasia need rehabilitation to maximize functional recovery. Assessing public awareness of aphasia is critical for development of and access to aphasia-related services. The current study addresses levels of public awareness of aphasia and access to aphasia-related services in an urban area of the State of Kerala, India, a region with potentially high incidence and prevalence of aphasia. Results of an aphasia-awareness survey of 114 urban Kerala residents suggest poor public awareness of aphasia in the population. Less than 10% of those surveyed met criteria for having basic knowledge of aphasia. Semi-structured interviews of two Kerala-based neurologists support the findings of the survey and further suggest that aphasia-related services in the region may be limited. Findings hold implications for development of aphasia services and improvement of the psychosocial life of people who have aphasia.