Perspectives of survivors of traumatic brain injury and their caregivers on long-term social integration.
BACKGROUND
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) has damaging impacts on victims and family members' lives and their long-term social integration constitutes a major challenge.


OBJECTIVE
The objective of the study was to document the repercussions of TBI on victims' long-term social integration (10 years post-trauma) and the contribution made by the services received from the point of view of TBI victims and family caregivers. This article examines the determinants of long-term social integration as well as the impact of TBI on family caregivers.


METHODS
A qualitative design was used (semi-directed interviews). The sample consisted of 22 individuals who had sustained a moderate or severe TBI and 21 family caregivers.


RESULTS
The results show that TBI is an experience that continues to present difficulties, even 10 years after the accident, and that different barriers contribute to this difficulty: not going back to work, depressive episodes, problems in relationships and sequellae. Family caregivers must help TBI victims confront the barriers in their path.


CONCLUSIONS
This study adopts a longitudinal perspective to help professionals determine how to intervene with TBI victims and their families. It validates the importance of having clients and family caregivers describe their reality.
Faculty of Nursing, Universite de Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. helene.lefebvre@umontreal.ca
Hélène
H
Lefebvre
Geneviève
G
Cloutier
Marie
M
Josée Levert
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D012917:Social Adjustment; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*