Abstract
Background: Concussion is a significant injury in New Zealand (NZ), however research regarding people's experience of recovering from concussion is limited. Evidence suggests that some people experience post-concussion symptoms such as fatigue, headaches, anxiety, feeling disconnected from society, relationship issues, and threats to employment. For some, recovery can involve the individual reconstructing their life, self- ?identity and personhood. This process is influenced by people's personal strengths, as well as external supports. Due to the limited research exploring people's experiences of their recovery after concussion, findings from this qualitative research offer potential for greater understanding of how such factors contribute to outcomes, including what helps and what hinders recovery.
Aims: This research aims to identify how people experience recovery in the first six months following concussion, specifically, factors that help or hinder recovery from concussion. This will add value to the research in this field, and ultimately contribute to the refinement of concussion services in NZ.
Methodology and Methods: This research project is part of a larger study, and uses qualitative methodology with a general inductive approach to analysing four interviews that have already been conducted and transcribed verbatim. This general inductive approach allows themes to emerge from the data. Braun and Clarke's (2006) six step thematic analysis framework was used to analyse the interviews.
Findings: Three key themes emerged: It's a balancing act; walking in my shoes; I am not me. These highlighted feelings of frustration and uncertainty regarding recovery from concussion and duration of symptoms, forcing participants to re-evaluate their expectations of recovery. Both positive and negative aspects of the health system were communicated, along with the need for support from friends, family, workplace, and community. Feelings of guilt were prominent in those recovering from concussion, as they felt they were unable to participate in life and meet expectations as they could before the concussion.
Conclusion: Although this research was limited by the small sample size, it was found that there are a variety of factors that help and hinder people recovering from concussion. These findings provide a base for future research to explore this topic and contribute to the goal of creating concussion services in NZ that are responsive to the population they serve.