Perceptions of mild traumatic brain injury in adults: a scoping review

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to synthesise the scholarly literature related to perceptions of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and health outcomes in an adult population.

Methods: A scoping review was undertaken. An electronic search of seven databases was conducted. Studies were included if (1) they related to perceptions of mild traumatic brain injury, (2) the population was adults with mild traumatic brain injury, and (3) health outcomes were reported. Studies were also identified through a hand search of reference lists of articles meeting study criteria. Numerical analysis and qualitative content analysis were employed.

Results: Twenty-one studies published between 1992 and 2015 were included. Key findings regarding how perceptions of mTBI have been conceptualised, assessed, manipulated, and associated with health outcomes across the literature are reported. Clinical implications of studies are presented and clinical examples provided. Findings are discussed in the context of the broader literature and rehabilitation practice.

Conclusions: Perceptions of mild traumatic brain injury, or how persons think about and understand mTBI and recovery, have important implications for rehabilitation intervention. Intervention research integrating perceptions of mild traumatic brain injury, while emerging, is needed. Engagement with the health psychology literature is recommended.

Implications for rehabilitation

• Perceptions of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and recovery have been associated with health outcomes and are worth considering in clinical rehabilitation practice.

• Studies reviewed demonstrate associations between negative perceptions of mTBI and increased symptom report, poor cognitive test performance, and impaired function.

• Potential implications for the rehabilitation process are discussed, including how to assess perceptions of mTBI in clinical interaction, and how to communicate information regarding symptoms, effects on daily life, and expectations for recovery following injury.

Keywords:

• Mild traumatic brain injury
• brain concussion
• illness perception
• expectation as etiology
• good old days bias
• diagnosis threat
• symptom attribution
• health psychology

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge those who provided valuable feedback on an earlier draft of this work: Drs Debra Cameron, Heather Colquhoun, Anne Hunt, Sally Lindsay, and Emily Nalder. Further, the authors wish to extend a sincere thank you to Katherine Wilson for her administrative support.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no declarations of interest.