THE EXPERIENCES OF OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY AND OCCUPATIONAL IDENTITY DISRUPTION IN YOUNG ADULTS AFTER A TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY.
Abstract
Background: A traumatic brain injury is a nondegenerative insult to the brain
from an external mechanical force (Seyd et al. 2007). Traumatic brain injuries
challenge entire family/social systems and cause stress and disruption to normal
life. Two of the main causes of a traumatic brain injury in young adults
(particularly aged 18-25) are falls and car accidents, with males being more
susceptible than females (Llie et al. 2019). Young people of this age are still
undergoing the transition from adolescence to adulthood. This complicates the
pathology and the life expectations from a societal point of view, along with
educational and perceived personal attainment (Llie et al. 2019). The research
would like to explore the impact of a traumatic brain injury on an individual’s
identity, occupational choices and meaningful roles. The focus of this topic will
be based within a Scottish context.
Literature Review Findings: Three themes emerged from the 13 articles chosen
for the literature review. A common and shared thread was the “loss of self”
(Nochi 1998a), which coined the beginnings of qualitative research within this
field. The first theme discusses the findings surrounding meaningful roles in the
form of gender and work identity. The second theme highlights the perception
of the self after a traumatic brain injury. The findings suggest that loss of self
and identity disruption is due to a change in their perceived self, and societal
views. The final theme explores the rehabilitation process and the lack of
decision making opportunities that are available for people with a traumatic
brain injury. The themes highlight a gap in the literature that focuses on the
importance of meaningful occupation in occupational identity reconstruction
within initial stages of rehabilitation.
Research Proposal: A narrative inquiry approach was used to grasp a clearer
understanding of the occupational experiences within rehabilitation for young
people with a traumatic brain injury. Their experiences of occupational therapy
and the use of occupation as a means for reconstructing occupational identity
was the aim and focus. Participants with a mild to severe TBI who have
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undergone occupational therapy will be included. Each interview or proxy
interview will take one to two hours. The interviews will be unstructured and the
data collected will be subjected to narrative data analysis.
Conclusions: It is anticipated that the research will elucidate a greater
understanding and comprehension for the occupational disruption that occurs
for young people who have experienced a traumatic brain injury.