title: Brain drawings following traumatic brain injury (TBI) and links to illness perceptions and health outcomes - Findings from a population-based study.
abstract: Individuals' illness perceptions predict health behaviours and influence functional outcomes. This study examined associations between a novel assessment of illness perceptions, in the form of adult's brain drawings after traumatic brain injury (TBI) and questionnaire measures of illness perceptions, quality of life and post-concussive symptoms.
  
  
  
  Population-based, prospective longitudinal study examining 245 adults with predominantly mild TBI with high risk of complications.
  
  
  
  Participants were asked to draw pictures of what they thought their brain looked like before injury and at baseline and one month post-injury. Drawing characteristics (height, width and percentage damage at one month) were examined in relation to each outcome of interest at six months.
  
  
  
  Greater damage at one month was associated with more negative illness perceptions (rs = .23), poorer mental health (rs = -.21), and more total post-concussive symptoms (rs = .27 to r = .35) at six months. The extent of damage depicted reduced over time (p < .001). No associations were found between the amount of damage drawn and injury severity, nor the height or width of drawings and injury severity or illness perceptions.
  
  
  
  Drawings post-TBI offer a simple, cost- and time-effective way to begin discussions and improve understanding of peoples' illness perceptions.
authors.affiliation: a Faculty of Health and Environmental Studies, National Institute for Stroke and Applied Neurosciences, , Auckland University of Technology , Auckland , New Zealand.
authors.forename: Kelly M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.affiliation: b Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences , The University of Auckland , Auckland , New Zealand.
authors.forename: Rob
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kydd
authors.affiliation: c Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Department of Psychological Medicine , The University of Auckland , Auckland , New Zealand.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Broadbent
authors.affiliation: a Faculty of Health and Environmental Studies, National Institute for Stroke and Applied Neurosciences, , Auckland University of Technology , Auckland , New Zealand.
authors.forename: Alice
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Theadom
authors.affiliation: d School of Psychology , The University of Auckland , Auckland , New Zealand.
authors.forename: Suzanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Barker-Collo
authors.affiliation: e Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London , London , UK.
authors.forename: Holly
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Edwards
authors.affiliation: a Faculty of Health and Environmental Studies, National Institute for Stroke and Applied Neurosciences, , Auckland University of Technology , Auckland , New Zealand.
authors.forename: Valery L
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Feigin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001155:Art Therapy; D001294:Attitude to Health; D000070642:Brain Injuries, Traumatic / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: BIONIC, Brain Injury Incidence and Outcomes New Zealand in the Community; BIPQ, Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire; GCS, Glasgow Coma Score; M, Mean; PCS, Post-Concussive Symptoms; QoL, Quality of Life; RPQ, Rivermead Post-Concussion Symptoms Questionnaire; SD, Standard Deviation; SPSS, Statistical Package for the Social Sciences; TBI, Traumatic Brain Injury; drawings; illness perceptions; post-concussion symptoms; quality of life; traumatic brain injury