a Faculty of Special Education and Rehabilitation, University of Belgrade , Belgrade , Serbia.
b School of Psychology , University of Exeter , Exeter , UK.
Disabil Rehabil. 2017 Nov;39(23):2381-2386. doi: 10.1080/09638288.2016.1226410. Epub 2016 Sep 27.
Public awareness of aphasia has been surveyed in a number of countries revealing that it is universally low. We report results of surveys in the Balkan countries Serbia and Montenegro and compare results with data from Croatia and Slovenia.
Convenience surveys of the general public were conducted in public places like shopping centers/malls and parks in Serbia (N = 400) and Montenegro (N = 500) using an adapted version of the public awareness of aphasia survey questionnaire. Respondents were asked whether they have heard of aphasia and tested with questions about aphasia. Information on gender, age, occupation and education was recorded.
Twelve percent (Serbia) and 11% (Montenegro) had heard of aphasia, but just 4% (Serbia) and 3.2% (Montenegro) had a basic knowledge of aphasia. Age, gender and occupation interacted variably with awareness. Between 16% (Slovenia) and 60% (Croatia) said they had heard of aphasia (10.5% overall mean for the four countries) and basic knowledge of aphasia across the four countries ranged between 3.2 and 7%.
Levels of awareness of aphasia in the Balkans are low and variably associated with age, gender, socio-economic and educational levels. Respondents with some knowledge of aphasia gained it through personal or professional interaction with aphasia or the media. The data provide a basis for awareness raising in Balkan countries to reduce stigmatization, improve community access and understanding. Implications for rehabilitation Awareness of aphasia is low universally, even among healthcare workers. Low public awareness of a condition, like aphasia, results in under-funded research and service provision. In order to raise public awareness of aphasia we need to know how many members of the general public know about it. Improvements in public awareness could positively affect funding, the quality of services, and the public understanding and acceptance of individuals with aphasia in the community. Improving awareness of aphasia in those who come into contact with aphasic people, like healthcare workers, could significantly improve the healthcare experience of people with aphasia and their families.
在许多国家都对公众对失语症的认识进行了调查，结果显示普遍较低。我们报告了在巴尔干国家塞尔维亚和黑山进行的调查结果，并将结果与克罗地亚和斯洛文尼亚的数据进行了比较。
在塞尔维亚（N=400）和黑山（N=500）的购物中心/商场和公园等公共场所，使用经过改编的公众对失语症认识调查问卷，对公众进行了方便调查。要求受访者是否听说过失语症，并通过关于失语症的问题进行测试。记录了性别、年龄、职业和教育信息。
12%（塞尔维亚）和 11%（黑山）听说过失语症，但只有 4%（塞尔维亚）和 3.2%（黑山）对失语症有基本了解。年龄、性别和职业与意识之间存在交互作用。听说过失语症的受访者比例在 16%（斯洛文尼亚）至 60%（克罗地亚）之间（四个国家的平均比例为 10.5%），而四个国家对失语症的基本知识的了解程度在 3.2%至 7%之间。
巴尔干地区对失语症的认识程度较低，且与年龄、性别、社会经济和教育水平等因素存在差异。对失语症有一定了解的受访者是通过与失语症或媒体的个人或专业互动获得的。这些数据为巴尔干国家提高公众对失语症的认识提供了基础，以减少污名化，改善社区的可及性和理解度。
普遍而言，公众对失语症的认识程度较低，甚至包括医护人员。如果公众对失语症等疾病的认识程度较低，那么就会导致对该疾病的研究和服务提供的资金不足。为了提高公众对失语症的认识，我们需要知道有多少普通民众了解它。提高公众对失语症的认识可以积极影响资金、服务质量以及社区中公众对失语症患者的理解和接受程度。提高与失语症患者接触的人群（如医护人员）对失语症的认识，可显著改善失语症患者及其家属的医疗体验。
