The Implications of Public Awareness and Knowledge of Aphasia around the World

BACKGROUND: The services provided and the financial support for research into a health condition is influenced by public awareness of a health condition. There has been a wide range of surveys of the public's and health professional's awareness of aphasia throughout the world to gauge levels of awareness. Findings confirm that awareness of aphasia is universally lower than comparable conditions. OBJECTIVE: To provide a review of international public and health workers' awareness and knowledge of aphasia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A narrative review examining known telephone, internet and face-to-face surveys of aphasia to determine international levels of awareness, knowledge and attempts to raise the awareness of aphasia. RESULTS: Awareness is internationally low and actual knowledge is even lower: 1%-66% for awareness and 5%-17% for actual knowledge. While higher than the public, levels of awareness and knowledge are also low among health professionals. A range of demographic variables, like age, sex and socio-economic status, are significantly associated with levels of awareness. People who have some awareness or knowledge of aphasia have gained it from the media or personal and professional contact with aphasia. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Awareness and knowledge of aphasia are low when compared to other communication disorders and comparable neurological conditions, for example, Parkinson's disease. The implications of results for service provision, research funding and awareness-raising programmes are reviewed and further suggestions for awareness-raising are discussed.