"<i>We're all closer</i>": narratives of family identity after acquired brain injury.

Abstract

Acquired brain injury (ABI) profoundly impacts the whole family. This study explores family identity using a relational, strengths-focused framework to understand how families navigate ABI together. Four adult family units, consisting of four survivors of ABI (1-18 years post-injury) and seven family members (aged 24-74), were interviewed together two/three times. Using Narrative Analysis an overall narrative (gestalt) of ABI as an ongoing family life transformation, encompassing both disconnecting and unifying narratives, was construct. Six interconnected stories of family identity were identified: (1) Disjointedness in response to the trauma of ABI; (2) Closeness remedying disjointedness with continuity and growth; (3) Incomprehension and disablism in interactions with people; (4) Incomprehension and disablism may be mitigated through understanding, kindness and inclusion; (5) Protectiveness from family members in tension with survivor's wish for independence; and (6) Humour to lighten the seriousness of ABI. Disconnecting narratives spoke to the challenges of responding to the trauma of ABI. Unifying narratives could bring the family together and help manage the challenges of ABI. Integrating unifying and disconnecting narratives may help families to make sense of ABI, and clinical services could embed relational and strengths-based understandings into family support post-ABI.