Investigators at CanChild have studied transitions to home, school and community, and the trajectories and consequences of childhood ABI.

Posted by admin Dec 15 No Comments »

Acquired brain injury (ABI) is defined as damage to the brain, which occurs at least seven days after birth and is not related to congenital disorder. The damage may be caused by traumatic injury to the brain or a non-traumatic cause, such as stroke, tumour, aneurysm, anoxia or an infection.

Childhood ABI is one of the leading causes of death and long-term disability. After an ABI, children and youth and their families may experience changes in many areas of their lives. These may include physical and mental health, ways of thinking, behaviour, social and family life, self-concept, and economic circumstances. Recovery from ABI varies a great deal among children and youth. Our understanding of the recovery process among young people suggests that it is complicated because this recovery is happening at the same time as changes that occur naturally as part of typical development. Even for those with mild ABI, in spite of apparently complete recovery in the weeks immediately following ABI, it is possible that some of these children and their families will have difficulties in the future.

Please visit: http://canchild.icreate3.esolutionsgroup.ca/en/childrenfamilies/braininjury.asp

ABI-TBI Research Happenings

Views of the Family of People with a Brain injury

Posted by admin Apr 22 No Comments »

We are a research group based at the University of Birmingham in the U.K. We are interested in how family members cope when a relative has had a brain injury, such as a head injury or a stroke. One of our interests relates to the expectations family members have for the recovery of their relative.

To look at this issue properly, we need to develop a questionnaire that assesses the expectations of the family member. We have developed a first version on the basis of a previous study we did about expectations; direct consultation with some family carers; and an existing questionnaire. We now need to evaluate this version of the questionnaire by getting a large number of family members to fill it in.

We would be very grateful if you could take some time to complete the questionnaire. The questionnaire is quite long, but your answers will help us to improve the questionnaire by, for example, reducing its length.

The questionnaire is meant for people who have (or expect to have in the future) a significant caring role for a family member who has had a brain injury within the last 12 months. If you do not fall into this category, thank you for your time but please do not submit your answers to us.

Please be assured that your confidentiality is guaranteed. We will not ask you to give your name or any other details that might make it easy to identify you. No one but ourselves will see the individual answers that you give. Because we won’t ask for your name, we will be unable to identify the person who has given these answers.

If you do not feel happy about answering the questions, please do not continue with the survey.

If the questionnaire raises concerns for you, you may contact your local Headway, Stroke Association or other similar organization, who should be able to address these concerns. You may also contact us, Andrew Brennan and Gerry Riley, Clinical Psychologists, via email at Andrew.Brennan@sbpct.nhs.uk or G.A.Riley@bham.ac.uk. We would also welcome your views if you have any general observations about the questionnaire.

If you would like a summary of the final research report, please send us an e-mail to request this.

Survey Link:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=BAkQOkS8ILAgJBrWBfT_2few_3d_3d

Dr. Andrew Brennan, Clinical Psychologist
Tel 0121 442 3448/3303