Publication year
2004
Citation Title
Through children’s eyes: Children’s experience of living with a parent with an acquired brain injury.
Journal Name
Brain Injury
Journal Volume
18
Issue Number
1
Page Numbers
83-101
DOI
10.1080/0269905031000118500
Summary
Researchers explored the experiences of four children living with fathers with a brain injury. Although small in scope, this study's primary aim was to provide information to families, therapists, rehabilitation counselors, and policy-makers in the area of brain injury. Another aim was to raise awareness of the social, emotional, and behavioral needs of at-risk children following a parental brain injury.
Key Findings
Results suggested children experienced emotional and behavior symptoms that included anxiety, hyperactivity, low self-esteem, depression, and difficulties in interpersonal relationships.
In comparison to previous research studies, all four children in the current study reported being directly abused by their fathers or traumatized by witnessing severe physical or verbal abuse.
The children identified the support of others (e.g., grandmothers) as important in their coping, yet reported abandonment by family friends, extended family, and others (e.g., health care professionals).
Implications for Military Professionals
Attend trainings about brain injuries to become a better resource for military families who have a family member who has experienced a brain injury
Offer support groups for families of Service members who have a brain injury to increase the kinship among those families
Implications for Program Leaders
Maintain supportive services for families after treatment for brain injuries because family members have reported violence and other problems that began after treatment ended
Help families educate children about brain injuries from the onset of their parent’s injury and ensure children are provided age-appropriate updates of their parent’s health condition
Implications for Policy Makers
Recommend programs develop a protocol of services and referrals for families, especially children, of Service members with a brain injury
Encourage the collaboration between military-based and community-based services to provide Service members with brain injuries comprehensive care
Methods
The sample was recruited from a family therapy clinic in Victoria, Australia.
The four participants were from three families and were selected for participation in the study because they were the first three families to volunteer for the study.
This was a qualitative study where the children participated in one, 1-1.5 hour interview that was later transcribed and coded based on patterns and themes that emerged from their responses.
Participants
The sample consisted of four children (three girls and one boy) from three different families. Therefore, two of the children were siblings.
The children’s ages ranged from 7 -12 years old. There were no data provided about the children’s race or ethnicity.
All children were from two-parent households (with opposite sex parents) and in each family, it was the father who had the brain injury.
Limitations
This study did not provide enough demographic data about the children and their families to determine how applicable the findings were with other families who have a parent with a brain injury.
The authors used data from facilitators’ observational notes of the children while they participated in a program offered at the family therapy clinic, which was separate from the research study. As a result, there are concerns with validity of the authors’ data and conclusions.
The authors did not mention a process of obtaining inter-rater reliability of the qualitative data, which limited the reliability of the data.
Avenues for Future Research
Conduct a similar study with a larger sample, only data gathered by researchers, and procedures to ensure the reliability of the data
Explore relationships between brain injuries and reports of marital satisfaction among Service members and their spouses
Gather longitudinal data about potential developmental concerns over time of children with a parent who has a brain injury
Focus
Civilian
Target Population
Population Focus
Abstract
While previous literature on brain injury reports high levels of stress and burden in primary caregivers, the impact on children has been overlooked. This paper reports on an in-depth, qualitative research project exploring the experiences of four children living with fathers with an acquired brain injury (ABI). The findings indicate that these children were negatively impacted and at risk of emotional and behavioural difficulties. The children reported a complexity of feelings associated with the trauma and multiple losses, including profound grief, social isolation and fear of family disintegration and violence. Despite the difficulties they faced, the children also demonstrated resilience and reported positive outcomes such as having greater independence. Although only a small pilot study, the current findings highlight the need for both clinicians and researchers to be more proactive in questioning their clients and families about the level of violence following ABI and that disclosure may be more likely to occur with on-going involvement and support. The study concludes that early intervention and systemic support is required to minimize the trauma for these children. Further research is recommended, not only to replicate these findings in a larger sample, but also to explore in-depth children’s experience of living with a parent with a brain injury
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