Harris Poll Findings: An Exclusive Preview

By Lauren Moore, Marketing and Communications Manager, Brain Injury Association of America

The Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) is excited to share our national report on the public perceptions of brain injury ahead of Brain Injury Awareness Month in March.

BIAA last conducted a public opinion poll in 2000, commissioning Harris Poll, one of the longest-running surveys in the U.S. tracking public opinion, motivations, and social sentiments. This year, we are once again partnering with Harris to utilize original public opinion research to publish a national report on public perceptions around brain injury.

Through this report, we’ll better understand what people know about brain injury, identify the greatest knowledge gaps, and influence public discussion with data-backed evidence. A working group consisting of brain injury survivors, professionals working in brain injury and neurorehabilitation, and BIAA staff worked alongside Harris to develop the themes and questions for the survey.

Below are some of those themes and a few examples of what we’d like to know more about.

• Misconceptions about brain injury – Do people know the signs and symptoms of a brain injury? What do people think are the leading causes of brain injury?
• Gender, racial, and ethnic disparities – Are women or men more likely to seek care?
• Barrier to help/treatment – Are people being asked about their history of brain injury by their primary care doctor? If someone is not seeking care after a head injury, what is the reason why?
• Invisible Disability – Are people familiar with the term invisible disability? Do they consider brain injury an invisible disability?

In the coming weeks and throughout Brain Injury Awareness Month, BIAA will share the findings of the poll. You can view the National Report on the Public Perceptions of Brain Injury by visiting our awareness page on the BIAA website. Visit biausa.org/awareness to learn more.

To stay up to date on the latest news from BIAA, including our findings from our new poll, visit https://biausa.org/join-our-community.