title: The development of self-awareness of deficits from 1 week to 1 year after traumatic brain injury: preliminary findings.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the process of recovery of self-awareness with consideration for the variables of severity of injury and deficit factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  A longitudinal, descriptive design was used.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighteen participants and their significant others were interviewed using the Awareness Questionnaire at 1 week, 1 month, 4 months and 1 year post-injury.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants differed in self-awareness according to severity of injury, deficit factors and time post-injury. Overall, participants with mild TBI demonstrated better self-awareness. There was a significant interaction effect between severity of injury and time post-injury. Reduced self-awareness of cognitive deficits was noted for the participants with moderate and severe TBI.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Time post-injury, severity of injury and deficit factors are confounding variables in the study of self-awareness.
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Therapy, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI, USA. diane.dirette@wmich.edu
authors.forename: Diane K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Dirette
authors.forename: Brian R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Plaisier
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001364:Awareness; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000523:psychology*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008875:Middle Aged; D011594:Psychometrics; D012649:Self Concept; D013997:Time Factors; D015599:Trauma Severity Indices