Awareness of Deficits and Emotional Implications

Past Studies

Past Studies have determined that persons with brain injuries can have neurological impairments and not be aware of these deficits. Such persons do not recognize their need for rehabilitation or the importance of adjusting their behaviors toward others. Studies show that persons who are aware of their disabilities perform better in rehabilitation and obtain better outcomes. But, persons who are aware of their deficits also have demonstrated symptoms of depression, as they realize how the brain injury has affected their lives. How persons react to changes in their lives can effect the lives of family members and significant others. Family conflict can arise when perceptions differ. Few studies have focused on the association between awareness of deficits and the stress this may cause family members and significant others.

This Study

This Study: evaluated 50 pairs of persons with brain injuries and their caregivers. The researchers determined that the persons with brain injuries were unaware of many of the deficits that were perceived by significant others. The persons with brain injuries appeared to experience more emotional distress, as they grew more aware of their deficits. One third of the caregivers in this study reported emotional distress. The adjustment of significant others appears to be related to their perception of recovery, how long ago the injury was, and a complexity of other factors–not identified by this study. Conclusions could not be made with certainty about the relationship between time span since injury, awareness of deficits, and emotional well being based on the results of this study.

Who May Be Affected By These Finding

Persons with brain injury, caregivers and family members, health care providers

Caveats

The relationship between time since injury and awareness of deficits was in the opposite direction than this study predicted. The generalizability of the results is limited because of the restricted population studied and limited variables used in the study design. Additional Objective measurements and methods would have made the results easier to interpret.

Bottom Line

The results of this study were inconclusive. Firm Conclusions regarding the relationships among chronicity, awareness of deficits, and emotional well-being cannot be made based on the results of this study. The findings suggest that, with increased time post-injury, individuals perceive themselves as more competent, but significant others tend not to share that view. Again, the findings were weak. Future studies should use additional objective measures of awareness of deficits and a larger population to improve interpretation of results.

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