The injury trajectory for young people 16-24 years in the six months following injury: A mixed methods study.
BACKGROUND
Adolescents and young people are the population at greatest risk of injury and therefore injury-related mortality and morbidity. Inquiry into the injury trajectory of young people is needed to identify this group's specific needs for healthcare. This paper reports the integration of quantitative and qualitative findings from a sequential explanatory mixed methods study examining young people aged 16-24 years' experience and trajectory of traumatic physical injury in the initial six months. The aim of integration was to address the question: In what ways are injured young peoples' experiences and self-management during the initial six months of the injury trajectory impacted by their injury, family support, and provision of healthcare?


METHODS
Key findings from epidemiological datasets on young person injuries from hospital and coronial databases (Phase 1) were combined with key findings from qualitative interviews with 12 injured young people and 10 family members (Phase 2).


RESULTS
The integration of findings from Phase 1 and Phase 2 resulted in three new findings; [1] (Alfred Health, 2014). A young person's perception of the severity of their injury, as well as the amount of time spent in hospital, impacts substantially on the way in which they experience injury, and this is managed differently between genders; [2] (Newnam et al., 2014). Admission to an Intensive care unit, including the intensity and duration of care, is the primary influence on how a family will provide support to the young person in the inpatient period; and [3] (Lyons et al., 2010). Young people's perception and understanding of their recovery from injury is in contrast with how healthcare systems are structured to provide rehabilitation and recovery care.


CONCLUSIONS
The injury trajectory and recovery process of young people in the six months following injury have been have conceptualised. These trajectories of recovery can inform the development of anticipatory guidance frameworks for clinicians and guide the provision of and planning for clinical services for injured young people.
Shock Trauma Service at the Canberra Hospital, Building 6, Level 1, The Canberra Hospital, Yamba Drive, Garran ACT 2605, T-6244 2793, Sydney Nursing School, University of Sydney, Australia. Electronic address: rebekah.ogilvie@act.gov.au.
Rebekah
R
Ogilvie
Disciplines of Nursing & Midwifery, University of Canberra, Australia.
Kim
K
Foster
Sydney Nursing School, University of Sydney, Australia.
Andrea
A
McCloughen
Sydney Nursing School, University of Sydney, Trauma Coordinator, St. George Hospital, Sydney, Australia.
Kate
K
Curtis
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D036301:Qualitative Research; D055500:Resilience, Psychological; D012648:Self Care / Q000523:psychology*; D012944:Social Support; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D055815:Young Adult
Injury trajectory; Mixed methods; Outcomes; Young people