Title : It’s better for me to live positively: Experiences of persons with aphasia participating in an online choir group in Singapore
Abstract:
Aphasia is an acquired communication impairment caused by damage to the brain. Persons With Aphasia (PWAs) encounter difficulties communicating with others and often experience significant life-altering psychosocial outcomes (e.g., social isolation, loss of jobs and hobbies).Group singing activities help with speech rehabilitation, reduce stress and improve mood. However, there is little research on online group singing.
To understand how aphasia has affected PWAs and to explore their experiences of participating in an e-choir, we interviewed six PWAs using the Assessment for Living with Aphasia with additional questions pertaining to their participation in the choir. Participants were recruited via Zoom at the start of an e-choir session and in-person when they attended a community event led by the same non-profit organisation that runs e-choir. Consent was sought using an aphasic-friendly participant information sheet and consent form, and all interviews were videorecorded. We then transcribed the interviews verbatim and analysed them thematically.
We found that having a positive mindset enhanced PWAs’ sense of autonomy and emotional well-being. While PWAs shared that they were unable to do many activities previously enjoyed, having a positive mindset allowed them to seek alternative activities. They enjoyed participating in the choir as they felt comfortable with fellow PWAs who “understand each other”. Music therapists and volunteers who ran the e-choir over Zoom were encouraging; they provided annotated slides, simplified instructions and taught at a slower pace. The e-choir provided a safe space for PWAs to interact with people outside of their families, which is important for PWAs who might “zip [their] mouth” when engaging with unfamiliar others. Lastly, the e-choir was more logistically accessible for PWAs who had mobility difficulties, but it might be challenging to build deep connections with others online.
This study shows that PWAs can benefit from participating in e-choirs. Future research could explore ways to enhance its delivery through virtual technology, or to compare with PWAs who participated in in-person choirs.
