If an individual who has suffered a brain injury has support to adjust with their life change then they are likely to respond to rehabilitation interventions more positively and show better outcomes from such interventions. There is also a small number of studies showing that good family adjustment after a member has suffered a brain injury results in lower stress and anxiety for the carers in that family unit. However, there is minimal literature linking the two areas of research to investigate the impact adjustment for the family unit has on the individual with the brain injury and their subsequent rehabilitation outcomes, and this is the core purpose of the project.
This research is looking at how the family experience and the individual experience interact based on coping styles and dimensions of family functioning and subsequently how this effects feelings of grief, loss and adjustment after acquired brain injury (ABI). A key feature of adjustment under investigation is the coping styles people have and the strategies they use to cope with the emotional and day-to-day challenges of brain injury. This is thought to be an area that shows potential to respond to interventions.