The Psychological Challenges of Identity Reconstruction Following an Acquired Brain Injury

An acquired brain injury (ABI) has a huge impact on a person’s life and identity. However, identity research in connection with ABI is still sparse. The present study investigates how people with ABI reconstruct their identity in the first year post-injury. Forty-three Danish adults were interviewed (semi- structured interviews) twice: while hospitalized and one year post-injury. Discourse analysis, drawing on the concepts of positioning and agency, was applied in order to investigate developmental processes in self-narratives over time. The analysis reveals that one of the key patterns in identity construction in this cohort is that the psychological changes and identity transitions emerge over time

At udføre kvalitativ forskning med personer med kognitive funktionsnedsættelser: Metodiske udfordringer og styrker

I takt med et øget fokus på det psykosociale bidrag til rehabiliteringen efter erhvervet hjerneskade og andre sygdomme som leder til kognitive funktionsnedsættelser, er behovet for at kunne foretage kvalitativ forskning af høj kvalitet med denne gruppe steget. Derfor er formålet med denne artikel at belyse og diskutere nogle af de metodiske udfordringer samt styrker vi har mødt i det forskningsdrevne møde medpersoner med erhvervet hjerneskade (EH). Dermed bidrager denne artikel til en metodisk diskussion som i høj grad er anerkendt som vigtig, men kun i begrænset omfang diskuteres (Glintborg, 2019; Paterson & Scott-Findlay, 2002). Gennem artiklen diskuteres det, hvordan tilpasningen af metodiske tilgange til interviewet, kan lade sig inspirere af den allerede veldokumenterede viden om tilpasningen af terapeutiske samtaler med personer med EH (f.eks. Gallagher et al., 2019). Der arbejdes ud fra fem overordnede grupper af kognitive vanskeligheder og hvordan interviewet som metode bedst muligt tilpasses disse, samtidig med at berettigelse af de kvalitative metoder diskuteres indenfor forskningsområdet

How are service dogs for adults with Post Traumatic Stress Disorders integrated with rehabilitation in Denmark? A case study

A severe mental illness like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is known to have psychosocial consequences that can lead to a decreased quality of life. Research in Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) has revealed that the presence of a dog can have a positive effect on health, e.g., increase quality of life and lessen depression and anxiety. However, canine companionship is not a catch-all solution. Previous research has revealed methodological limitations that prohibit any clear conclusions, as well as a sparsity of critical reflection in anecdotal reports and case studies, which means that more research is needed to contextualize the findings. There has been an increasing interest in animal-assisted intervention in Denmark in recent years. Previously, authorities could only grant service dogs to adults with physical disabilities, but now this has been extended to adults with mental illnesses. Therefore, it has become important to explore how these service dogs are incorporated into rehabilitation practices in mental health, and how rehabilitation professionals react to the use of service dogs. This paper is a case study of a person who suffers from PTSD. This study examines how the person describes the significance of having a dog during her rehabilitation process, and how this is integrated with existing rehabilitation. The case study has been developed based on a semi-structured interview. A Thematic Content analysis was used to reveal dominant patterns and categories. This study revealed a lack of communication and collaboration between public administration (social service), service dog providers, health rehabilitation services, and providers of psychological treatment. It also revealed limited access for the dog to public services, limited success in incorporating the dog into goal-directed treatment and rehabilitation procedures, a strongly felt emotional support from the dog, and a perceived stigma by having the dog wearing a vest with he words “mentally ill” printed on it

”Hvis man havde set mig som menneske fremfor bare min skade” – Indefra-perspektiver på dansk neurorehabilitering

Øvrig forfatter: Dorthe Birkmose, cand.psych., selvstændig psykolog og kursusleder.  ResuméFormålet med denne artikel er at se nærmere på, hvordan mennesker oplever at blive mødt i hjerneskaderehabiliteringen i Danmark. Empirisk trækkes der på interviews med de 82 personer, der indgik i ph.d.-afhandlingen ”Grib mennesket” (Glintborg, 2015) samt et opfølgningsstudie efter 5 år. Analyserne trækker på diskurspsykologi og narrativ teori til at udforske fortællinger og diskurser om personer med erhvervede hjerneskader. Analyserne viser, at det individuelle aspekt kan blive skubbet til side af et for stort fokus på hjerneskaden. Konklusionen er, at der er et behov for en professionalisme, der i højere grad balancerer den neurofaglige viden med indefra-perspektivet hos det enkelte menneske.AbstraktThe aim of this study was to explore how Danish adults with an acquired brain injury (ABI) experience encounters with professionals during their rehabilitation process. The study draws on empirical data from 82 adults with moderate to severe ABI collected as part of a Ph.D. project (Glintborg, 2015) and a 5-year follow up study. Analysis reveal that once diagnosed with ABI, this label can take a master status in encounters with professionals. Professionals' reification of the diagnosis of brain injury can be oppressive because it subjugates humanity such that everything a person does can be interpreted as part of the neurological disability. We conclude that there is a need for a new kind of professionalism that balance the diagnostic lens with a lens on the person as a human being