“It’s been a long hard road”: challenges faced in the first three years following traumatic brain injury

Downing, Marina; Hicks, Amelia J.; Braaf, Sandy; Myles, Daniel B.; Gabbe, Belinda; Ponsford, Jennie

doi:10.1080/09638288.2021.1992517

Cited by 5 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 44 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Existing studies exploring the perspectives of individuals with TBI towards their recovery have been limited by retrospective report, limited focus on communication and potential influence of close others. Downing et al (2021b) conducted semi-structured interviews with nine participants with TBI and 16 close others (e.g., family, spouses, friends) at 3 years post-injury with retrospective reflections on their recovery journey. Challenges were identified by both people with TBI and their close others across the recovery journey including a lack of information and issues with continuity of care (Downing et al, 2021b).…”

Section: Perspectives Of Individuals With Tbi Towards Their Recoverymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Downing et al (2021b) conducted semi-structured interviews with nine participants with TBI and 16 close others (e.g., family, spouses, friends) at 3 years post-injury with retrospective reflections on their recovery journey. Challenges were identified by both people with TBI and their close others across the recovery journey including a lack of information and issues with continuity of care (Downing et al, 2021b). There were specific challenges described during the acute phase of recovery such as issues with adjustment to the injury, individuals with TBI presenting with a negative outlook as well as lack of support for close others.…”

Section: Perspectives Of Individuals With Tbi Towards Their Recoverymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Downing et al. (2021b) conducted semi‐structured interviews with nine participants with TBI and 16 close others (e.g., family, spouses, friends) at 3 years post‐injury with retrospective reflections on their recovery journey. Challenges were identified by both people with TBI and their close others across the recovery journey including a lack of information and issues with continuity of care (Downing et al., 2021b).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…There were specific challenges described during the acute phase of recovery such as issues with adjustment to the injury, individuals with TBI presenting with a negative outlook as well as lack of support for close others. Compensation and funding issues emerged at later recovery phases (Downing et al., 2021b). Downing et al.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Perceptions of communication recovery following traumatic brain injury: A qualitative investigation across 2 years

Elbourn

Brassel

Steel

et al. 2022

Intl J Lang & Comm Disor

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

BACKGROUNDExploring the perceptions of individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) towards their brain injury recovery across the continuum of care may offer insights to support engagement with rehabilitation services. Illness narratives are a potentially valuable avenue for examining perceptions of recovery that may influence engagement.AIMSThe aim of this study is to explore the perspective of individuals with severe TBI towards their communication, brain injury and recovery experiences at 6 months, 1 year and 2 years post‐injury.METHODS & PROCEDURESDiscourse samples were obtained from 12 participants with severe TBI at 6 months, 1 year and 2 years following injury. A standardised protocol was used to elicit responses relating to perceptions of communication, the brain injury narrative, and perceptions of recovery facilitators. A thematic analysis of the discourse samples was completed.OUTCOMES & RESULTSThree overarching themes were identified: experiences of communication recovery are diverse (Theme 1), varied experiences of recovery and rehabilitation (Theme 2), and continuous and lifelong journey of recovery (Theme 3). Primary communication concerns included presence of anomia, dysarthria, conversational topic difficulties, impacts of fatigue and memory difficulties. Illness narratives revealed the importance of re‐establishing a sense of self and the perceived importance of a strong social network post‐injury.CONCLUSIONS & IMPLICATIONSThe varied nature of communication challenges and recovery after TBI highlights the need for holistic, multidisciplinary support as well as inclusion of family and friends in the recovery process. Social communication intervention is a perceived priority area for individuals with TBI. Illness narratives may also play a valuable role in therapy and help to shape post‐injury identity. Managing the impacts of fatigue on communication and encouraging individuals to take ownership over their recovery and treatment may also help to improve patient outcomes. Supporting individuals to construct positive brain injury narratives that reaffirm a sense of self and include perspectives of family and friends may offer a potential future avenue for rehabilitation. Tailored but flexible, team‐based service delivery models for individuals with TBI that span from acute to long‐term care are warranted.What this study adds?What is already known on this subject Communication recovery from traumatic brain injury (TBI) is complex and multifaceted. The perceptions of individuals with TBI toward their communication recovery is largely unknown. To establish rehabilitation services that meet the needs of these individuals, we need to understand how they experience communication recovery.What this paper adds to existing knowledge Social communication interventions were perceived as a priority for intervention by individuals with TBI. Fatigue was identified as perceived barrier to communication recovery. Taking ownership over one's recovery process was revealed as a facilitator of recovery. Illness narratives were found to strengthen post‐injury identity over time.What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? Speech pathologists should prioritise social communication interventions and fatigue management for communication. Facilitating ownership of the recovery process and offering long‐term supports are key aspects of treatment. Supporting positive illness narratives as part of treatment may facilitate post‐injury identity construction.

show abstract

Section: Perspectives Of Individuals With Tbi Towards Their Recoverymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Perspectives Of Individuals With Tbi Towards Their Recoverymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Perceptions of communication recovery following traumatic brain injury: A qualitative investigation across 2 years

Elbourn

Brassel

Steel

et al. 2022

Intl J Lang & Comm Disor

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The etiology of head trauma is varied, with vehicle accidents, falls and assaults the most common causes. Patients with traumatic head injury are at increased risk of both short- and long-term mortality and morbidity including cognitive and psychiatric disturbances, reduced quality of life, and permanent disability (5, 6, 7, 8). Several high-risk populations have been identified, including young males and Indigenous people (5, 9, 10, 11, 12).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Epidemiology and outcomes of head trauma in rural and urban populations: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Chequer de Souza,

Dobson,

Lee

et al. 2023

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Objective: To identify and describe differences in demographics, injury characteristics, and outcomes between rural and urban head injury patients. Data Sources: CINAHL, Emcare, MEDLINE, and Scopus. Review Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies comparing epidemiology and outcomes of rural and urban head trauma was conducted in accordance with PRISMA and MOOSE guidelines. Results: 36 studies with ~2.5-million patients were included. Incidence of head injury was higher in males, regardless of location. Rates of transport-related head injuries, particularly involving motorized vehicles other than cars, were significantly higher in rural populations (OR:3.63, 95% CI[1.58,8.35], p=0.002), whereas urban residents had more fall-induced head trauma (OR:0.73, 95% CI[0.66,0.81], p<0.00001). Rural patients were 28% more likely to suffer severe injury, indicated by Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS)<8 (OR:1.28, 95% CI[1.04,1.58], p=0.02). There was no difference in mortality (OR:1.09, 95% CI[0.73,1.61], p=0.067), however, urban patients were twice as likely to be discharged with a good outcome (OR:0.52, 95% CI[0.41,0.67], p<0.00001). Conclusions: Rurality is associated with greater severity and poorer outcomes of traumatic head injury. Transport accidents disproportionally affect those travelling on rural roads. Future research recommendations include addition of prehospital data, adequate follow-up, standardized measures, and sub-group analyses of high-risk groups, e.g., Indigenous populations.

show abstract

Epidemiology and outcomes of brain trauma in rural and urban populations: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Chequer de Souza,

Dobson,

Lee

et al. 2024

Brain Injury

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

“It’s been a long hard road”: challenges faced in the first three years following traumatic brain injury

Cited by 5 publications

References 44 publications

Perceptions of communication recovery following traumatic brain injury: A qualitative investigation across 2 years

Perceptions of communication recovery following traumatic brain injury: A qualitative investigation across 2 years

Epidemiology and outcomes of head trauma in rural and urban populations: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Epidemiology and outcomes of brain trauma in rural and urban populations: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About