This study brings to light the importance of including the family and the person with a TBI in the care process by calling for their participation and by setting up suitable structures that prioritize a meaningful partnership among the key individuals.

The birth of a child is a transitional situation that triggers stress in the family and each person has to use adjustment strategies allowing them to reposition gradually in relation to themselves and other members of the family, and to make space for the new arrival. When the child has a health problem, the stress on the parents is correspondingly greater. Research shows that fathers and mothers of a child with a health problem experience this ordeal differently. This article reports on the current state of knowledge about the experience of fathers and mothers of a child with a health problem, and suggests new directions for research to provide a fuller understanding of their experience.

This qualitative study explored the adaptation/transformation process in mothers and fathers at the individual, parental, marital and extrafamilial levels, and the similarities and differences in their experience of living with a child with cerebral palsy. Interviews were conducted with 13 mothers and 13 fathers of children with cerebral palsy. The results show that mothers and fathers are more likely to view the situation differently than similarly. For both parents, the situation offers the potential for transformation. Complementarity between mothers and fathers is an important factor in each of the adaptation or transformation subsystems. Both parents embark on a journey that changes their beliefs about difference, apply their new knowledge to every aspect of their life, and endeavour to normalize their situation.

In conclusion, the pertinence of this study lies in the desire of close ones and health professionals to ease the adaptation process imposed by a TBI, and to promote the well-being of informal caregivers.

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This pilot project aims to test and see the relevance of the direct observation method to collect data on the barriers and facilitators to attending public places by seniors with TBI. The study is based on the conceptual framework VADA WHO which focuses on the development of friendly built and technological environments for seniors. Three elderly people participated in the study, recruited from an ongoing project, The Citizen Intervention in Community Living (APIC), in the presence of their personalized attendant. The study shows the feasibility of the method in terms of its acceptability and resources mobilized. It shows its relevance to access additional data that would have been difficult to obtain using others methods (e.g., semi-structured interview), such as the identification of the strategies used by the participants to address the obstacles encountered (avoidance, travel planning, use of physical and preventative support of the personalized attendant).

L’accompagnement personnalisé d’intégration communautaire (APIC) offre un soutien aux personnes ayant un traumatisme craniocérébral (TCC) qui vivent des difficultés d’intégration sociale. Dans ce programme, l’accompagnateur citoyen rencontre une personne trois heures par semaine pendant un an afin de la soutenir dans la réalisation de ses projets et activités. Ce rôle confronte les accompagnateurs citoyens à de nombreux défis qui peuvent entraîner des risques pour leur santé mentale. Cet article fait part des représentations de la pratique de l’accompagnement citoyen selon la perspective des accompagnateurs citoyens. Les résultats permettent de dégager cinq principes qui délimitent et définissent cette pratique : 1) trouver la « bonne distance » dans la relation avec l’accompagné ; 2) considérer l’ensemble des acteurs dans le processus ; 3) mettre la personne et ses désirs au coeur de la pratique ; 4) accepter de ne pas tout savoir ; et enfin, 5) s’engager tout en acceptant la possibilité d’être transformé.APIC (Citizen Accompaniment Project for Community Integration) offers support for the social integration of people living with traumatic brain injury. The accompanying citizen meets the person three hours a week for a period of a year in order to offer assistance in the accomplishment of his/her projects and activities. This role confronts the accompanying citizen with many challenges that may put their mental health at risk. This article offers a reflection on this practice from the accompanying citizen’s perspective. Five principles that can help better delimit and define citizen accompaniment are drawn from the results: 1) finding a “good distance” in the relationship to the accompanied person, 2) considering all of the actors in the process, 3) putting the accompanied person and their desires at the heart of the practice, 4) accepting not knowing everything, 5) being committed to the project and accepting it may transform you

Introduction : les personnes ayant un traumatisme craniocérébral (TCC) demeurent généralement avec des séquelles physiques, sensorielles ou psychologiques qui perturbent leur capacité à réaliser leurs activités quotidiennes. Contexte : un projet d’accompagnement-citoyen personnalisé d’intégration communautaire (APIC) a été implanté pour pallier au manque de ressources et soutenir ces personnes dans la redéfinition de leurs projets de vie. Objectifs : cette étude vise à évaluer les effets de l’APIC sur le mieux-être et sur les capacités de personnes ayant un TCC à réaliser leurs activités de la vie quotidienne et de loisirs. Méthode : un devis mixte d’étude de cas multiples, utilisant une approche de recherche participative et collaborative a été privilégié. Des données qualitatives et quantitatives ont été recueillies lors d’entrevues semi-structurées auprès de neuf personnes ayant un TCC, à 6 mois et 12 mois du début de l’accompagnement. Résultats : l’étude démontre les retombées positives de l’APIC sur le développement de l’autonomie des participants et sur leur satisfaction quant à leur participation sociale. Discussion et conclusion : elle indique que l’accompagnement APIC est un espace sécurisant fondé sur la réciprocité entre l’accompagné/accompagnateur, mettant en action les capacités de résilience de la personne.