Women's tenacity following traumatic brain injury: Qualitative insights

Kate O'Reilly, Nathan J. Wilson, Cannas Kwok, Kath Peters

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

3 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Aim: To explore perspectives of Australian women who had sustained a traumatic brain injury to develop a gendered understanding of their experiences.

Design: Qualitative findings from a concurrent mixed methods study.

Methods: Australian women who had sustained a traumatic brain injury participated in conversational interviews. Data were collected from June 2017 - May 2018. Women's narratives were listened to in various ways (Anderson & Jack, Learning to listen: Interview techniques and analyses, 1991) and analysed using thematic analysis (Braun & Clark, Thematic analysis, 2016).

Results: Two overarching themes Loss—A life once lived and Realigning Self—A new way of being were identified. Women discussed many losses due to injury, loss of income and potential earnings, loss in relationships and loss of identity. These all took time to reconfigure in their lives, as they adjusted to a range of ongoing impairments from the traumatic brain injury.

Conclusion: Socially constructed gendered norms continue to at times negatively inform delivery of health care for women following traumatic brain injury. Loss associated with the injury is felt for decades and regardless of time since injury realigning of self, requires remarkable tenacity. Readjustment often continues without end; therefore, individualized health and rehabilitation services must be offered across women's lifespans.

Impact: There is limited research into women's experiences of traumatic brain injury which suggests experiences will be the same for men and women. This research highlights biological sex differences and socialized gendered roles are important factors to consider for women following traumatic brain injury. Differences are influenced by sociocultural factors and they relate to sexual and reproductive health and gendered roles such as caring for children, caring for ageing parents, employment and projected earnings. These findings should be used to inform the development of individualized health and rehabilitation services which women in this study have identified and must be offered across their lifespans.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1934-1944
Number of pages11
JournalJournal of Advanced Nursing
Volume77
Issue number4
Early online date13 Jan 2021
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Apr 2021

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Women's tenacity following traumatic brain injury: Qualitative insights'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this