Acquired brain injury and the emotional, behavioural and cognitive sequelae : the family experience

Braine, ME

Abstract

Acquired brain injury (ABI) can be a sudden, dramatic and sometimes fatal event that instantly disrupts the lives of the patient and their families. ABI causes a variety of deficits including motor, cognitive, functional, emotional and behavioural. Whilst the extent of these deficits and their recovery may vary, and the affect of these injuries on the family has been the subject of much research over the past three decades, the specific impact that challenging behaviour has as a consequence of the ABI however, is sparse. This thesis will present the findings of
a descriptive phenomenological study which set out to describe the experiences of those immediate family members of persons who have suffered acquired brain injury and present with challenging behaviours. Five carers who met the inclusion criteria participated in the study and were recruited from a regional neuroscience centre. The experiences were collected through in-depth, face-to-face semistructured interviews with family members of persons with acquired brain injury. The interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim to provide textual descriptions of the family members' experiences. Analysis provided rich
descriptions of the family members' experiences. Seven interrelated themes emerged through data analysis: one theme described the challenging behaviours of the people with acquired brain injury and six themes describe the experiences of the family members; emotional turmoil that these behaviours engendered, a profound sense of loss, concerns for the future for themselves as well as the
injured, a sense of loneliness, the affect on family functioning and finally the family members coping and adapting to the behaviours. The interview data also revealed
that with time the experiences expressed were not dissipated. This study contributes to healthcare providers' understanding and knowledge of families experience of living with a person with acquired brain injured and their cognitive, emotional and behaviour sequelae, and supports the need for continued research in this area.

Citation

Braine, M. Acquired brain injury and the emotional, behavioural and cognitive sequelae : the family experience. (Thesis). University of Salford

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Oct 3, 2012
• Publicly Available Date: Oct 3, 2012
• Award Date: Jan 1, 2010