An exploration of the experience of gaining awareness of deficit in people who have suffered a traumatic brain injury.
Gaining awareness of deficits was explored in 10 people with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) using a semi-structured interview and interpretative phenomenological analysis. Eight master themes emerged from the transcripts. Knowledge of deficits was acquired through personal discovery and the reactions of others, often outside the rehabilitation environment. Rehabilitation provided explanations and a normalising and supportive environment that facilitated people in acknowledging their deficits. Most participants spontaneously referred to denial and saw this as an active cognitive and behavioural process that both helped and hindered recovery. The emotional reaction to learning about deficits was described largely in terms of fear and loss and resonates with psychological models of grief.