Relationship between perceived social support and patient-reported communication outcomes across communication disorders: a systematic review.

Only 12 studies met the eligibility criteria, and half of the included studies involved participants with aphasia, so the evidence base is narrow. The studies were heterogeneous in populations, designs, time points, and measures, so the authors could not perform a meta-analysis. Only English-language studies were included, which may have excluded relevant research. Individuals with moderate to severe cognitive symptoms and people with severe aphasia were excluded, so the results may not apply to those groups. The review is prognostic, so the relationships found cannot be interpreted as cause and effect. One qualitative study met all nine quality criteria, while the others met three, seven, or eight, so the qualitative findings need cautious interpretation. Small sample sizes at follow-up in some longitudinal studies warrant caution. Some patient-reported subscales used only three items, while others used broader scores, which may affect comparability. Formal measures of perceived social support may not capture communication-specific support or negative aspects of relationships.

The supplied article text does not report an author conflicts-of-interest statement. Publication types include NIH extramural research support.

Do not conclude that increasing perceived social support will improve communication. The review is prognostic, the quantitative relationships were mostly weak, and the qualitative findings describe experiences rather than tested intervention effects.