Using occupation to facilitate self-awareness in people who have acquired brain injury: a pilot study.
BACKGROUND
Impaired self-awareness in people who have had an acquired brain injury (ABI) is a complex phenomenon that impedes rehabilitation progress and outcome.


OBJECTIVE
This pilot study investigated the effect of an occupation-based intervention program on the self-awareness and emotional status of people after ABI. Four male adults with impaired self-awareness following ABI participated in this study. Each received a 10-week individualized program that focused on the performance of three occupations for 1 to 2 hours per week. A facilitative approach was taken, using techniques to improve self-awareness described in the literature. Repeated measures of participants'self-awareness and emotional status were taken pre- and post-intervention, and analyzed descriptively.


RESULTS
Results indicated preliminary support for the effectiveness of the program in facilitating participants' self-awareness. However, consideration of baseline and follow-up data indicated a complex picture. Increased anxiety was found to accompany improvements in participants' self-awareness in all four cases.


CONCLUSIONS
This study will assist occupational therapists with program development for clients who have had an acquired brain injury.
School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. j.fleming@uq.edu.au
Jennifer M
JM
Fleming
Sarah E
SE
Lucas
Sue
S
Lightbody
D000328:Adult; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009788:Occupational Therapy; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012647:Self-Assessment