Abstract for presentation at 6th World Congress on Brain Injury

MMost TBI outcome studies focus on white, Anglo-Saxon English speaking patients who identify with the dominant health care system. Little is known of the experience of TBI individuals from non English-speaking backgrounds and potential influences of cultural factors upon attitudes and responses to rehabilitation. This study examined the influence of linguistic cultural background, and beliefs about injury and recovery on participation in rehabilitation and subsequent outcomes in two groups with mild-severe TBI, 45 of English speaking background (ESB) and 43 of non-English speaking background (NESB) recruited 1-8 years post-injury. Measures included the Revised Illness Perception Questionnaire, Motivation for Traumatic Brain Injury Rehabilitation Questionnaire, Activities of Daily Living, Employment Status and CHART. Results indicated no significant differences between the ESB and NESB groups in terms of age, gender, education, injury severity, or functional outcome. Both groups showed positive attitudes towards rehabilitation and their treating health professionals. However, differences were beginning to emerge between the ESB and NESB groups in terms of emotional responses to TBI, feelings of shame and stigma following injury, distress about changes to life roles, and well as differences in beliefs about locus of control. Relationships between TBI beliefs, rehabilitation participation and motivation, and reported outcomes following treatment will also be examined.