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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2021 Aug;35(8):1151-1163.
doi: 10.1177/0269215521995671. Epub 2021 Feb 24.

Supporting wellbeing through peer-befriending (SUPERB) for people with aphasia: A feasibility randomised controlled trial

Katerina Hilari  1 , Nicholas Behn  1 , Kirsty James  2 , Sarah Northcott  1 , Jane Marshall  1 , Shirley Thomas  3 , Alan Simpson  4 , Becky Moss  1 , Chris Flood  5 , Sally McVicker  1 , Kimberley Goldsmith  2
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Supporting wellbeing through peer-befriending (SUPERB) for people with aphasia: A feasibility randomised controlled trial

Katerina Hilari et al. Clin Rehabil. 2021 Aug.

Abstract

Objective: To determine the feasibility and acceptability of peer-befriending, for people with aphasia.

Design: Single-blind, parallel-group feasibility randomised controlled trial comparing usual care to usual care + peer-befriending.

Participants and setting: People with aphasia post-stroke and low levels of distress, recruited from 5 NHS Hospitals and linked community services; their significant others; and 10 befrienders recruited from community.

Intervention: Six 1-hour peer-befriending visits over three months.

Main measures: Feasibility parameters included proportion eligible of those screened; proportion consented; missing data; consent and attrition rates. Acceptability was explored through qualitative interviews. Outcomes for participants and significant others were measured at baseline, 4- and 10-months; for peer-befrienders before training and after one/two cycles of befriending.

Results: Of 738 patients identified, 75 were eligible of 89 fully screened (84%), 62 consented (83% of eligible) and 56 randomised. Attrition was 16%. Adherence was high (93% attended ⩾2 sessions, 81% all six). The difference at 10 months on the GHQ-12 was 1.23 points on average lower/better in the intervention arm (95% CI 0.17, -2.63). There was an 88% decrease in the odds of GHQ-12 caseness (95% CI 0.01, 1.01). Fourty-eight significant others and 10 peer-befrienders took part. Procedures and outcome measures were acceptable. Serious adverse events were few (n = 10, none for significant others and peer-befrienders) and unrelated.

Conclusions: SUPERB peer-befriending for people with aphasia post-stroke experiencing low levels of distress was feasible. There was preliminary evidence of benefit in terms of depression. Peer-befriending is a suitable intervention to explore further in a definitive trial.Clinical trial registration-URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov Unique identifier: NCT02947776Subject terms: Translational research, mental health, rehabilitation, quality and outcomes, stroke.

Keywords: Feasibility study; aphasia; mood; peer-befriending.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of conflicting interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Participant CONSORT diagram.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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