Enhancing communication between a person with TBI and a significant other through arts: pilot project

Abstract

The neurological consequences following a traumatic brain injury (TBI) greatly affect the person's daily life as well as that of the supporting relatives who often feel powerless. The social integration of people suffering from TBI is a long-term situation. TBI often involves communication and behavioural disorders that become limitations to social participation. In general, interventions focus on reducing the individual's difficulties and do not consider strengthening their potential. Leisure, notably arts, has been found to assist in adapting to the loss of autonomy and enhancing social reintegration. This paper proposes a new approach focused on strengthening potential through artistic recreational activities as a medium for improving communication between a person with a TBI and his/her relative. A pre-experimental study was conducted with a group of dyads of persons with TBI and their significant other (n 05 dyads). Unexpected quantitative changes were found on the Perception of Relationship and Activities Scale, more specifically on the sharing pleasant events sub-scale which decreased for the significant other group, as well as decreases on the feelings, values and feasibility of this sub-scale. However, the qualitative results revealed interesting impacts of the programme on self-realization and relationships. These data will allow us to further test the programme in an experimental study.