Partners’ experiences of relationship continuity in acquired brain injury

Figures & data

Table 1. Participant characteristics

Participants		Spouses with ABI
Pseudonym	Age	Pseudonym	Age	Cause of brain injury	Length of pre-injury relationship (years)	Time post-injury (years)
Frank	66	Wilma	52	TBI—fall	25	1
Janet	52	Jeff	52	TBI—road accident	34	1
Joan	55	Matthew	62	Stroke	20	10
Maureen	51	David	50	TBI—road accident	28	3
Claire	54	Nick	57	TBI—road accident	25	2

Table 2. Summary of themes

(1) Is relationship continuity an appropriate framework for conceptualising participants’ experience? (a) Same/different person (b) Relationship redefined (c) Same/different feelings (d) Couplehood (e) Loss (f) Were the two criteria for establishing applicability met? (2) Potential implications of continuity/discontinuity for the response to the care-giving role (a) Making sense of and managing the changes (b) The burden of care-giving (c) Thoughts about remaining within the relationship (3) A potential precursor of discontinuity (a) Lack of emotional reciprocity

Table 3. Suggested location of each participant on each dimension of relationship continuity

Dimensions	Continuity	Unclear or showing aspects of both continuity and discontinuity	Discontinuity
Same/different person	Claire, Janet		Joan, Frank, Maureen
Relationship redefined	Claire, Janet		Joan, Frank, Maureen
Same/different feelings	Claire	Janet, Maureen, Frank	Joan
Couplehood	Claire	Janet	Joan, Frank, Maureen
Loss	Claire, Janet, Maureen	Frank	Joan