Healthcare professionals' attitudes towards traumatic brain injury (TBI): the influence of profession, experience, aetiology and blame on prejudice towards survivors of brain injury.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the attitudes of healthcare professionals towards individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and their relationship to intended healthcare behaviour.


METHODS
An independent groups design utilized four independent variables; aetiology, group, blame and gender to explore attitudes towards survivors of brain injury. The dependent variables were measured using the Prejudicial Evaluation and Social Interaction Scale (PESIS) and Helping Behaviour Scale (HBS).


METHODS
A hypothetical vignette based methodology was used. Four hundred and sixty participants (131 trainee nurses, 94 qualified nurses, 174 trainee doctors, 61 qualified doctors) were randomly allocated to one of six possible conditions.


RESULTS
Regardless of aetiology, if an individual is to blame for their injury, qualified healthcare professionals have more prejudicial attitudes than those entering the profession. There is a significant negative relationship between prejudice and helping behaviour for qualified healthcare professionals.


CONCLUSIONS
Increased prejudicial attitudes of qualified staff are related to a decrease in intended helping behaviour, which has the potential to impact negatively on an individual's recovery post-injury.
Redpath
S J
SJ
Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board, Cymru/Wales, UK. simon.redpath@abm-tr.wales.nhs.uk
Williams
W H
WH
Hanna
D
D
Linden
M A
MA
Yates
P
P
Harris
A
A
D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006379:Helping Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011287:Prejudice; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*