Developing Social-ABI-lity: An Online Course to Support Safe Use of Social Media for Connection After Acquired Brain Injury

Brunner, Melissa; Rietdijk, Rachael; Avramović, Petra; Power, Emma; Miao, Melissa; Rushworth, Nick; MacLean, Liza; Brookes, Anne-Maree; Togher, Leanne

doi:10.1044/2022_ajslp-22-00099

Cited by 9 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…Findings from this proof-of-concept study (Brunner et al, 2022a) indicated that the social-ABI-lity course was acceptable and engaging for the participants, and that some aspects of social media communication skills for people with an ABI could be trained through an online, self-directed course. However, its efficacy as a standalone treatment is yet to be determined.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 93%

“…The CyberABIlity training programme (Monash University, 2022) provides free online training for people with ABI to learn specifically about cybersafety, including identifying and navigating cyberscams. The self‐directed online course, ‘social‐ABI‐lity’, focuses on successful use of social media after ABI (Brunner et al., 2022a). This course was developed through a collaborative design process with participants with ABI, family members and clinicians, and tested through a proof‐of‐concept study with four participants with ABI.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, its efficacy as a standalone treatment is yet to be determined. Moreover, it is likely that this course would be most beneficial as one element within a multi‐component approach to improving social media communication skills, with participants in the proof‐of‐concept study identifying the need for additional support to assist safe and meaningful access and participation in social media (Brunner et al., 2022a). Additionally, role‐play and group contexts in safe settings have previously been demonstrated as successful in supporting practice of new behaviours in meaningful activities before generalizing skills in more natural or less structured settings (Meulenbroek et al., 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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‘It gives you encouragement because you're not alone’: A pilot study of a multi‐component social media skills intervention for people with acquired brain injury

Brunner

Rietdijk

Summers³

et al. 2022

Intl J Lang & Comm Disor

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BackgroundPeople with an acquired brain injury (ABI) find it challenging to use social media due to changes in their cognition and communication skills. Using social media can provide opportunities for positive connection, but there is a lack of interventions specifically designed to support safe and successful social media use after ABI.AimsTo investigate the outcomes of completing a social media skills intervention and identify barriers and facilitators for future implementation.Methods & ProceduresThe study used a mixed‐methods, pre‐post‐intervention design. A total of 17 adults with an ABI were recruited. Participants completed an intervention that included a short self‐guided course about social media skills (social‐ABI‐lity course), and then participated in a private, moderated Facebook group over a 12‐week period (social‐ABI‐lity Facebook group). Data were collected over this period through observation of group activity and weekly surveys. They were also collected on social media use and quality of life at pre‐intervention, post‐intervention and after 3 months. Participants provided feedback on the experience of participating in the programme via a post‐intervention interview.Outcomes & ResultsAt post‐intervention, there were significant improvements in confidence in using Facebook (p = 0.002) and enjoyment of using Facebook to connect with others (p = 0.013). There was no significant change in reported quality of life, although participants described the multiple benefits of connection they perceived from involvement in the group. Observational data and feedback interviews were informative about the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention.Conclusions & ImplicationsThis pilot study provided preliminary evidence that an intervention comprising a short, self‐guided training course and a private, moderated Facebook group improved outcomes for people with ABI. Key recommendations for future implementation include embedding active peer moderators within groups and taking an individualized approach to delivery of the intervention.WHAT THIS PAPER ADDSWhat is already known on the subjectResearch has documented the challenges that people with ABI experience in using social media, and the difficulty for rehabilitation clinicians in providing appropriate support in this field.What this paper adds to existing knowledgeThis pilot study reports the outcomes of people with ABI completing a short, self‐guided social media skills course and participating in a private, moderated Facebook group. After the intervention, participants reported significantly increased confidence and enjoyment in using Facebook, described the benefits of connection found in the groups, and suggested potential improvements for future implementation.What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work?With the growing use of social media for connection and participation, there is a professional obligation to address social media communication skills in cognitive–communication rehabilitation for people with ABI. The findings of this study will inform interventions and future research to assist people with ABI to build their social media skills for communication, social support and a sense of connection.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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‘It gives you encouragement because you're not alone’: A pilot study of a multi‐component social media skills intervention for people with acquired brain injury

Brunner

Rietdijk

Summers³

et al. 2022

Intl J Lang & Comm Disor

Self Cite

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“…This program enables people to progress through seven modules about conversations after brain injury, record and reflect on conversations to learn and see progress, get feedback from their speech pathologist as they practice and connect to video calls with their speech pathologist. The Toolkit programs have shown promising feasibility and acceptability in pilot studies (Avramović et al, 2023;Brunner et al, 2022Brunner et al, , 2023 and are currently being expanded to include virtual reality components, as well as starting to be adapted for non-English contexts. The Social Brain Toolkit has already gained industry and clinical adoption in Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom, with over 2500 users accessing the self-guided courses (freely available at https://abi-communicationlab.sydney.edu.au/social-brain-toolkit/).…”

Section: Investigating Translation From Research To Practicementioning

confidence: 99%

It's a changing landscape: Complexity and innovation in cognitive‐communication rehabilitation for people with acquired brain injury (ABI)

Rietdijk,

Brunner,

Conroy

et al. 2024

Intl J Lang & Comm Disor

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An acquired brain injury (ABI) has an impact across almost all areas of an individual's life, including their relationships, community engagement, education and vocational participation. Cognitive-communication disorders (CCD), defined as communication dysfunction resulting from underlying cognitive impairments (Togher et al., 2023), present a major barrier to people with ABI participating in successful and enjoyable communication across family, social and work contexts. It has been estimated that CCD are experienced by over 75% of people with an ABI (MacDonald, 2017), and present predominantly as social communication difficulties ranging from impoverished communication through to excessive talkativeness (Togher et al., 2023). At a global level, it is estimated that 50 million people worldwide sustain a traumatic brain injury (TBI) each year (Maas et al., 2017) and that 12.2 million people have a stroke each year (Feigin et al., 2022), which are the two most common aetiologies of ABI. At an individual and at a global level, there is an urgent need to deliver appropriate, evidence-based and accessible clinical services to support people with CCD. There are several factors that create complexity in addressing this need. Firstly, CCD are heterogeneous, chronic conditions with a longterm impact on a person's life, which require a flexible and individualised approach. Furthermore, rehabilitation for CCD involves complex interventions (Campbell et al., 2007) involving different components which may be interdependent, and which may not be well-defined. Finally, there can be challenges in implementation of evidencebased interventions into real-world clinical contexts, due to contextual or systemic barriers. This special issue of the International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders reports on research studies that have engaged with these complexities and highlighted potential new pathways towards improved support for people with ABI.

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“…29 It could include educational (e.g., information sessions), behavioural (e.g., self-monitoring), or supportive (e.g., phone coaching) dimensions. 29 These tools are varied and may include mobile health support applications, 30,31 telerehabilitation, 32 online resources, 33 biofeedback, 34 or wearable sensors and machine learning. 35 Some of these technologies can also be smart by "dynamically access[ing] information, connect[ing] people, materials […] in an intelligent manner" (p. 62).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Managing challenging behaviours in adults with traumatic brain injury: A scoping review of technology-based interventions

Hendryckx,

Nalder,

Drake

et al. 2023

Journal of Rehabilitation and Assistive Technologies Engineerin

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Challenging behaviours are one of the most serious sequelae after a traumatic brain injury (TBI). These chronic behaviours must be managed to reduce the associated burden for caregivers, and people with TBI. Though technology-based interventions have shown potential for managing challenging behaviours, no review has synthesised evidence of technology aided behaviour management in the TBI population. The objective of this scoping review was to explore what technology-based interventions are being used to manage challenging behaviours in people with TBI. Two independent reviewers analysed 3505 studies conducted between 2000 and 2023. Studies were selected from five databases using search strategies developed in collaboration with a university librarian. Sixteen studies were selected. Most studies used biofeedback and mobile applications, primarily targeting emotional dysregulation. These technologies were tested in a variety of settings. Two interventions involved both people with TBI and their family caregivers. This review found that technology-based interventions have the potential to support behavioural management, though research and technology development is at an early stage. Future research is needed to further develop technology-based interventions that target diverse challenging behaviours, and to document their effectiveness and acceptability for use by people with TBI and their families.

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Developing Social-ABI-lity: An Online Course to Support Safe Use of Social Media for Connection After Acquired Brain Injury

Cited by 9 publications

References 33 publications

‘It gives you encouragement because you're not alone’: A pilot study of a multi‐component social media skills intervention for people with acquired brain injury

‘It gives you encouragement because you're not alone’: A pilot study of a multi‐component social media skills intervention for people with acquired brain injury

It's a changing landscape: Complexity and innovation in cognitive‐communication rehabilitation for people with acquired brain injury (ABI)

Managing challenging behaviours in adults with traumatic brain injury: A scoping review of technology-based interventions

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