Self-perceived deficits in adults with traumatic brain injury: An exploratory, retrospective study

Megan McGrail Killelea, Fordham University

Abstract

The purpose of this retrospective study was to explore the presence and nature of statistically significant differences in self-perceived deficits among adults with traumatic brain injury (TBI) when considering TBI severity level, participation in therapeutic intervention, and functional domain. This study also aimed to compare any statistical trends found among the self-perceived deficits of adults with TBI to those existing differences in the self-awareness of these individuals identified through prior research. Participants in this retrospective study were 625 adults with TBI living in the community from whom self-report data were collected using a structured interview. The original study for which these data were used was funded through a research and training grant from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research carried out at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in 1998. Results showed that, across all three levels of TBI severity, adults without TBI perceived significantly fewer physical, cognitive, and emotional problems than those adults who had suffered a TBI. When excluding controls, results also revealed significant differences in self-perceived deficits across TBI severity level which differed based on the functional domain being measured. In addition, results clearly demonstrated the impact of therapeutic intervention on self-perceived deficits and raised questions about the extent to which certain therapies may enhance self-perception and, ultimately, self-awareness, independent of TBI severity level. Findings suggest that further research is needed to ascertain the separate and combined impact of TBI severity level and therapeutic intervention on self-perception and self-awareness among adults with TBI.

Subject Area

Neurosciences|Medicine|Cognitive psychology

Recommended Citation

Killelea, Megan McGrail, "Self-perceived deficits in adults with traumatic brain injury: An exploratory, retrospective study" (2014). ETD Collection for Fordham University. AAI3632100.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI3632100

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