Mindful Connections: The Role of a Peer Support Group on the Psychosocial Adjustment for Adults Recovering From Brain Injury.

Abstract

How does participating in a peer support group impact an adult's psychosocial adjustment following brain injury? This question was investigated using a qualitative approach, interviewing patients recruited from an ambulatory care program. Data analysis guided by Bury's sociological framework, biographical disruption and biographical repair, revealed participants' pregroup disrupted sense of self, including subthemes related to intrinsic losses and uncertainty. Enhanced psychosocial adjustment including subthemes described participants' reorientation through shared experience. Finally, a postgroup adapted sense of self including subthemes was characterized by heightened purpose, self-awareness, and acceptance. Findings lend weight to using tailored peer interventions to optimize psychosocial adjustment for this population.