Rebuilding the self through valued action and group connections after acquired brain injury: Participant perspectives of the VaLiANT group intervention

Figures & data

Table 1. Participant demographic and injury information.

Participant^a	Gender	Age	Education (years)^b	Type of ABI	Time since injury^c	Attendance (no. sessions)
SCED
Olivia	F	49	18	Stroke	8 months	4
Liam	M	43	11	TBI	14 years	8
Mary	F	65	17	Stroke	4 years	8
Noah	M	41	13	Refractory epilepsy	34 years	6
Amelia	F	26	16	TBI	11 years	8
Charlotte	F	49	14	Stroke	21 years	8
Oliver	M	62	13	TBI	5 years	8
Elijah	M	51	12	TBI	6 years	8
James	M	80	12	TBI	9 months	6
William	M	53	13	Stroke	3 years	7
RCT
Ben	M	79	16	Stroke	1 year	8
Mia	F	34	17	Stroke	2 years	8
Lucas	M	65	13	Brain tumour	5 years	6
Henry	M	71	17	Stroke	6 years	7
Eleanor	F	55	13	Stroke	2 years	8
Theo	M	72	17	TBI	8 years	8
Jack	M	64	17	Stroke	2 years	8
Alex	M	51	14	Stroke	10 months	8
Emma	F	48	11	Brain tumour	46 years	6
Daniel	M	56	11	Stroke	1 year	8
Anthony	M	24	12	Brain tumour	17 years	6
Ethan	M	63	13	Stroke	2 years	8
Owen	M	37	18	Multiple sclerosis	9 years	8
Penelope	F	19	14	Stroke	3 years	7
Jacob	M	48	16	TBI	1 year	8
Aiden	M	41	18	TBI	5 years	7
Chloe	F	20	15	Stroke	6 years	8
Madison	F	49	19	Stroke	7 years	8
Joseph	M	57	11	Brain tumour	2 years	4
Ellie	F	48	14	Multiple sclerosis	13 years	8
David	M	54	16	Stroke	6 years	8
Grace	F	50	18	Stroke	2 years	8
Zoe	F	35	17	Multiple sclerosis	7 years	6
Leo	M	74	10	Stroke	1 year	8
Eliza	F	60	14	Stroke	1 year	8
Victoria	F	53	13	Meningitis	1 year	3
Luke	M	55	14	TBI	6 years	8
Hannah	F	76	17	Stroke	2 years	8
Matthew	M	40	11	Stroke	4 years	8

Notes: SCED, single case experimental design; RCT, randomized controlled trial.

^a All participant names are using pseudonyms.

^b 13 years indicates completion of high school.

^c Time since injury rounded to the nearest month or year.

Figure 1. Conceptual model of reflexive thematic themes.

A figure depicting the conceptualized relationship between the three main themes as a hierarchical but interacting model whereby changes in functioning and strategy usage and social connection contribute to changes in adjustment. This adjustment process then reinforces participant’s new behaviours and their orientation towards social connection.

Figure 2. Distribution of overall intervention acceptability ratings. *Indicates different response scale; please rate how satisfied you were with VaLiANT overall (extremely dissatisfied, a little bit dissatisfied, indifferent, mostly satisfied, extremely satisfied), please rate how helpful you found VaLiANT (not at all helpful, slightly helpful, somewhat helpful, moderately helpful, very helpful).

Bar chart displaying the distribution of participants levels of agreement with statements about VaLiANT’s delivery. The ratings indicate high overall acceptability as the majority agreed with positively worded statements and disagreed with negatively worded statements.

Table 2. Ratings of intervention components and individual sessions.

	% indicating helpful
Intervention component
Sharing experiences and ideas with other group members	87 (34/39)
Doing the values card sort activity each week	79 (31/39)
Learning about values and how to determine what is most important to me	77 (30/39)
Identifying barriers	74 (29/39)
Learning and practicing coping strategies e.g., mindfulness, self-compassion	74 (29/39)
Learning and practicing doing strategies e.g., cognitive/memory/planning strategies	67 (26/39)
Doing homework tasks	62 (24/39)
Identifying and noticing your passengers on the bus	59 (23/39)
Using SMART goals to identify committed actions	59 (23/39)
Identifying personal strengths that enable valued living	59 (23/39)
Filling out the “way to valued living worksheet” every week	56 (22/39)
Reviewing the notes and handouts	54 (21/39)
The information on the slides	51 (20/39)
Doing the passengers on the bus group activity	49 (19/39)
Getting a recording of the mindfulness exercises	46 (18/39)
Having the opportunity to bring along a family member or friend	41 (16/39)
Individual sessions^a
Session 7: Healthy relationships (family/friend session)	67 (22/33)
Session 2: Sleep and fatigue	59 (22/37)
Session 1: Getting introduced to values and valued living	59 (22/37)
Session 6: Communication strategies	57 (20/35)
Session 3: Diet and exercise	56 (20/36)
Session 8: Revising the program	49 (17/35)
Session 5: Leisure	42 (14/33)
Session 4: Work, study, community involvement	41 (15/37)

^a Session ratings excluded participants who did not attend that particular week of the intervention.