HEADS: UP Aphasia: co-creating a mindfulness-based course for stroke survivors with aphasia. Findings from a professional stakeholder survey

Background and aims: One third of stroke survivors lives with aphasia. Although anxiety and depression are common among people with aphasia (pwa), due to their complex communication needs these individuals are frequently excluded from therapeutic interventions with negative consequences on their mental health. HEADS: UP Aphasia is a Stroke Association-funded PhD research study which aims to co-create an aphasia-friendly version of HEADS: UP (Helping Ease Anxiety and Depression following Stroke; https://bit.ly/2QbB0cV), a stroke-specific adaptation of Kabat-Zinn's Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course.
Methods: The study was conducted online. In stage 3 of the research a social media strategy was used to recruit health professionals (HPs). Participants were invited to complete a 10-min bespoke questionnaire structured around the TIDieR checklist (Hoffmann et al., 2014) and delivered via RedCap. Questions focused on potential adjustments to be considered during subsequent co-creation/adaptation work. Closed questions were supplement by the option to 'comment'. Quantitative questionnaire data were analysed using descriptive statistics e.g. distribution and frequency; qualitative data using thematic analysis.
Results: Twenty-eight HPs were recruited; n=25 professionals completed the survey (n=3 not completed). Key findings: delivery mode: 48% (n=12) 'blended'; setting: 68% (n=17) 'mix of 1:1 and group sessions'; session frequency: 44.4% (n=12) 'once weekly'. Explanatory comments helped identify potential facilitators and barriers e.g. group for peer support. Conclusions: The results offer a professional perspective of pwa's needs and priorities in the context of a complex psychosocial self-management intervention, and will guide the decision-making during subsequent HEADS: UP Aphasia co-development processes.