We are not the same people we used to be: An exploration of family biographical narratives and identity change following traumatic brain injury

Abstract

Subjective changes are increasingly recognised as important in recovery and rehabilitation following traumatic brain injury. Accumulation of subjective changes overtime has led many to examine the question of ‘continuity of self’ post-injury. Vacillation between feeling the same and feeling different is common and often at odds with the medical narrative preparing individuals and families for permanent change. This position of ambiguity was examined in a qualitative narrative study. The aim of this paper is to describe the narrative structures used by uninjured members of a family to understand change. These changes relate to a. their perspective of whether and how the injured person had changed and b. whether and how they themselves had changed in the first-year post-injury. Nine uninjured family members from three families took part in three unstructured interviews during the first twelve months post-injury. In-depth narrative analysis showed how family members used biographical attendance; biographical disruption; biographical continuity and biographical reconstruction to understand change post-injury. Drawing on these findings we argue that concentrating on a narrative of change is too limiting and that engaging in biographical narratives may help humanise care provided to injured individuals and their families. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

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ORCID for Christopher Bailey: orcid.org/0000-0002-7528-6264

ORCID for Nicola Jarrett: orcid.org/0000-0003-2513-8113

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