Research project
Family-inclusive practice with acquired brain injury
Who is this research most relevant to?
- Family therapy and systemic practice clinicians
- Policymakers
- Organisations
- Families
Contact for further information
Overview
The impact of Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) on families is well documented and there have been long-standing calls for a family focus in treatment. While there are useful frameworks to guide interventions with families in the context of ABI, there are no agreed-upon clinical guidelines to support practitioners in health and community services to deliver ABI-informed family-inclusive practice. As a first step towards developing such guidelines, this project aimed to identify key areas of family-inclusive practice in ABI treatment from the perspective of clinicians working in this area. Our Bouverie team conducted a semi-structured focus group with six clinicians working in ABI care across acute, rehabilitation, and community settings in Melbourne. We then performed a qualitative content analysis on the focus-group data to identify themes.
This project did not receive external funding and was wholly supported by The Bouverie Centre.
Key research highlights
- Clinicians and services should recognise that an ABI impacts the whole family and respond accordingly
- Capacity building is needed to increase clinicians’ confidence and organisational support for working relationally with families
- Clinical guidelines are needed to support practitioners in health and community services in ABI-informed family-inclusive practice
Research publications and shared knowledge
Upcoming Manuscript: Family Inclusive Practice after Acquired Brain Injury: Clinician Perspectives