Purpose: This work explored the experience of women with traumatic brain injury. Robust research in the field of TBI is readily available; however given the significantly higher rate of TBI in the male population an exploration of gender issues which are specific for women following TBI remain scarce in the literature. Currently, research related to women post TBI is limited to small cohorts and fails to adequately explore the diversity of this population (Alston, Jones & Curtin, 2012; Haag, Caringal, Sokoloff, Kontos, Yoshida & Colantonio, 2016; Howes, Benton & Edwards, 2005a, 2005b). Similarly, research within Australia is limited with one study looking at outcome measures alone (Slewa-Younan et al., 2008) and the other focusing on the experience for women in rural areas of New South Wales (Alston et al., 2012). Researchers recognise there is a gender differential among people with disabilities, however this body of research is limited (Meade, Mahmoudi & Lee, 2015). This research explored what the health, activity and participation issues are for Australian women post TBI in an effort to enhance the research base, with the aim of informing clinical care, policy development and advocacy priorities. Pragmatism as a research paradigm underpins a concurrent mixed methods approach for this research. This integrates both the understanding of the broader society through a quantitative survey with what is found from hearing women’s individual experiences in qualitative interviews (O’Reilly, Peters, Wilson & Kwok, 2017). A quantitative survey enhances understanding of the breadth of issues using a numerical perspective while the qualitative data adds understanding of individual’s lived experience. Without research which focuses specifically on the experience of women with traumatic brain injury there is a risk that clinical care, policy development and advocacy services will not effectively accommodate them.
The body of research exploring women’s issues post TBI is limited and requires further development. Australia’s contribution to the published research however is limited with of the most recent research coming from Canada (Colantonio, 2016; Colantonia et al., 2010). Given the inconsistent findings in the literature and the developing recognition that outcome measures do not reflect the lived experience, qualitative research is essential if rehabilitation, health and disability services are to adequately meet the needs of women following TBI (O’Reilly, Wilson & Peters, 2017). This work presents a much broader perspective of the health, activity and participation issues for women following TBI in an effort to prevent quiescent yet pervasive marginalisation.
Methods: Mixed methods research using an online survey and qualitative interviews
Results: Ongoing Project
Conclusion: This work presents a much broader perspective of the health, activity and participation issues for women following TBI in an effort to prevent quiescent yet pervasive marginalisation.
