Family-Inclusive Practice After Acquired Brain Injury: Clinician Perspectives

Recovery after acquired brain injury is rarely an individual journey. How can services better support the whole family?

New Research Publication

Family-Inclusive Practice After Acquired Brain Injury: Clinician Perspectives

Published by Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy

When a person experiences an acquired brain injury (ABI), the impacts often extend beyond the individual to family members, carers, and support networks. This new research explores what helps and challenges clinicians in delivering family-inclusive practice.

Who is this research relevant to?

This article is relevant for health professionals, rehabilitation services, policymakers, service managers, researchers, and family support organisations seeking to strengthen person- and family-centred care.

Key Insights

1. Families play a vital role in recovery, adjustment, and ongoing support after ABI.
2. Clinicians recognise the value of involving families but often face practical and system-level barriers.
3. Organisational structures, resources, and service models can influence how effectively families are engaged.
4. Building clinician confidence and capability can support more meaningful family involvement.
5. A stronger focus on family-inclusive approaches may improve outcomes for both individuals and their support networks.

Why this matters

As demand for integrated, person-centred healthcare continues to grow, understanding how services can better support families is increasingly important for improving long-term wellbeing and recovery outcomes.

Research in Practice

The findings highlight the importance of embedding family-inclusive approaches into service design, workforce development, and care pathways—not as an add-on, but as a core component of high-quality rehabilitation and support.