# Sources and Self-Management of Chronic Stress in People with Aphasia

> **NIH NIH F31** · OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $42,912

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
 Aphasia is commonly operationalized as a linguistic impairment affecting expressive or receptive
language. People with aphasia (PWA) often experience profound emotional disturbances to a greater extent
than post-stroke adults without aphasia given the direct relationship between emotional well-being and the
capacity to engage in human interaction. PWA have been reported to develop ‘linguistic anxiety’, or stress when
using language, due to the preoccupation with communication breakdown opportunities. Acute stress can be
adaptive and inform our bodies of when to avoid or escape danger. However, persistent episodes of stress (i.e.,
chronic stress) can have adverse effects on physical and mental health. Chronic stress may also lead to harmful
changes in the body’s neurological function, which may, in turn, interfere with language rehabilitative outcomes.
Given the direct relationship between chronic stress, well-being, and rehabilitation, there is a critical need to
better understand sources of stress related to communication in PWA to inform clinical practice and interventions.
 In line with NIDCD’s mission, the study plans to explore perceptions of stress concerning communication
in PWA to enhance long-term outcomes and promote communicative participation. This will be achieved by
conducting a mixed methods research paradigm to explore sources and self-management strategies of chronic
stress in PWA. PWA will complete patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) and semi-structured interview
prompts related to sources of stress that may impact communication participation. To our knowledge, this project
will be the first to directly examine the lived experiences of PWA through a mixed methods research paradigm
to identify candidate sources of chronic stress in relation to communication (Aim 1a). Next, we will collect PROMs
and interview prompts to elucidate the self-management strategies used to reduce perceptions of stress during
communication attempts. While self-management strategies can be adaptive, we suspect PWA will endorse
recruiting maladaptive strategies, such as avoidance or excessive rehearsal, that may suppress acute stress but
facilitate long-term stress toward the feared situation (Aim 2a). Finally, we will collect longitudinal stress and
coping data via ecological momentary assessments (EMAs), or repeated real-time data sampling, for the first
time in PWA. Data collected via EMAs are suspected to provide a better insight into the variation of stress and
coping perceptions from day to day. (Aim 1b and 2b). Potential moderating variables (i.e., socioeconomic status,
physical immobility) will be accounted for in the proposed project. The findings of this study will provide critical
information to inform future interventions that address chronic stress as it impedes communicative participation.
 The fellowship training plan will take place at a large, research-intensive university under the direction of
a strong, s...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 11066766
- **Project number:** 1F31DC022142-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Courtney C Jewell
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $42,912
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-08-16 → 2026-08-15

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11066766

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 11066766, Sources and Self-Management of Chronic Stress in People with Aphasia (1F31DC022142-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/11066766. Licensed CC0.

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