‘We are the forgotten victims’: Perspectives of adult siblings of persons with traumatic brain injury

Abstract

Primary objective: This study determined how the lives of a cross-national sample of adult siblings had changed since their brothers and sisters incurred a traumatic brain injury.

Research design: A total of 272 participants provided responses to the question, ‘How is your life different since your sibling had a TBI?’ Responses were analysed through the constant comparative method of textual analysis.

Methods and procedures: Responses were collected through a mailed-survey. The analysed question appeared at the end of a 243-item quantitatively-based survey containing five open-ended questions.

Outcomes and results: Three themes emerged: (1) ‘Family impacts’ such as growing up with a sibling with TBI and impact on family closeness; (2) ‘Caring’ including caring for and about the family member; and (3) ‘Making sense of the experience’ through adjustment and personal development.

Conclusions: The study demonstrates that having a sibling with a TBI can result in profound and enduring negative and positive life changes for non-injured siblings. Professionals need to attend to the needs of siblings for support and guidance and should be considered as key informants about their injured family members during intake and service planning.

• Adult siblings, family, family adjustment, caregiving, qualitative research