Abstract for presentation at 6th World Congress on Brain Injury

Although social participation, communication and coping following traumatic brain injury (TBI) have been well documented, the relationship between coping with communication breakdown and social participation has not been examined. It is likely that not only communication impairment but also how individuals cope with situations in which communication breaks down will play a part in shaping social participation after injury. The central aim of this study was to explore the role that coping with communication breakdown plays in shaping long-term social participation subsequent to severe TBI. Participants included 15 individuals with severe TBI, recruited from support groups and from a social support and recreational program. A normative sample consisted of 15 individuals, recruited from the community, matched with TBI individuals for gender, age and education.
Three variables were measured in the study: perceived communication ability, coping with communication breakdown and social participation. Perceived communication ability was assessed using the La Trobe Communication Questionnaire. To assess coping with communication breakdown a structured interview was used. Social participation was assessed using the Craig Hospital and Reporting Technique -Revised.
Participants with TBI perceived themselves to have significantly more problems with communication than matched controls. TBI individuals reported significantly more non-productive strategies and less productive strategies for coping with communication breakdown than matched controls. A significant relationship emerged between coping with communication breakdown and social participation for participants with TBI.
It is anticipated that improved understanding of the inter-relationship between social participation, communication breakdown and coping will enable clinicians to develop treatment to increase productive coping strategies that are positively associated with participation.