RESUMO
INTRODUCTION: More than 300,000 soldiers have returned from Southwest Asia (i.e., Iraq and Afghanistan) with combat-related mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBIs). Despite less visible physical injuries, these soldiers demonstrate various physical and cognitive symptoms that impact their ability to reintegrate post-mTBI. This study explores family reintegration experiences, as described by married dyads, following a combat-related mTBI. METHODS: Nine soldiers with mTBI and their spouses participated, and a total of 27 interviews, both joint and individual, were conducted. Strauss and Corbin's grounded theory methodology and semistructured interviews were used to collect participants' perceptions and analyze the data. FINDINGS: The overarching theme of the reintegration experience is described as finding the "new normal." A new normal was defined by participants as the couple's new, post-mTBI expectation of the family unit or family routine. Some participants indicated that they had accepted the post-mTBI changes and were working toward this new normal, whereas others indicated these changes were unacceptable and continued their efforts to return to pre-injury functioning. CONCLUSIONS: Individuals with mTBI and their families may benefit from interventions that directly address mismatched expectations and promote the acceptance of a new normal.
Assuntos
Lesões Encefálicas/reabilitação , Militares/psicologia , Adaptação Psicológica , Adulto , Campanha Afegã de 2001- , Lesões Encefálicas/psicologia , Feminino , Teoria Fundamentada , Humanos , Iraque , Guerra do Iraque 2003-2011 , Masculino , Cônjuges/psicologia , Adulto JovemRESUMO
Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) can have a profoundly negative effect on the injured person's quality of life, producing cognitive, physical, and psychological symptoms; impeding postinjury family reintegration; creating psychological distress among family members; and often having deleterious effects on spousal and parental relationships. This article reviews the most commonly reported signs and symptoms of mTBI, explores the condition's effects on both patient and family, and provides direction for developing nursing interventions that promote patient and family adjustment.
