Supporting wellbeing through peer-befriending (SUPERB) for people with aphasia: A feasibility randomised controlled trial.
Katerina Hilari, Nicholas Behn, Kirsty James and 8 others
PMID 33624514WHAT IT FOUND
Peer-befriending was feasible and safe for people with aphasia.
While recruitment was challenging, retention was high. Preliminary data suggests lower distress at 10 months, but definitive proof requires a larger trial.
Key findings
01Recruitment was difficult, with only 10% of those identified eligible, but retention was good with a 7% withdrawal rate after randomisation.
02Participants receiving peer-befriending showed lower distress scores at 10 months compared to usual care, though the confidence interval was wide and included zero.
03Peer-befrienders reported an increase in distress scores after delivering the intervention, highlighting the need for robust supervision.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
This was a feasibility study, not powered to detect clinical effects, so outcome differences are preliminary. Recruitment was inefficient, with only 10% of those identified eligible. Baseline imbalances existed in ethnicity and education between arms. The control group received usual care only, so it is unclear if benefits are due to befriending specifically or just additional social contact.
Declared interests
Funded by The Stroke Association. City, University of London was the research sponsor. No conflicts of interest declared.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the lower distress scores at 10 months as proof of efficacy. The study was underpowered, and the confidence interval for the primary outcome included zero, meaning the difference could be due to chance.