Abstract
Primary objective: To examine the nature, degree and time course of positive psychological change in people with severe acquired brain injury.
Research design: This preliminary exploratory study employed a cross-sectional design, comparing two matched samples, one early post-brain injury (M = 7 months) and one late post-brain injury (M = 10 years).
Methods and procedures: The Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI), Sense of Coherence Scale-13 (SOC-13) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) were administered.
Main outcomes and results: The samples differed significantly with respect to reported post-traumatic growth, with the late sample reporting higher levels. HADS anxiety was significantly associated with post-traumatic growth. Both samples achieved high scores on the SOC-13.
Conclusions: The participants showed evidence of substantial positive psychological change, demonstrating that it is not precluded by severe brain injury. The results suggest that this develops slowly over time and requires a degree of emotional engagement.