Abstract
Fatigue is a common sequelae of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and adversely impacts on ability to return to work. No prior studies have investigated how people manage TBI related fatigue at work. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore how people managed fatigue attributed to TBI to successfully return to and maintain paid work. We conducted a qualitative descriptive study with eight adults in paid employment, who sustained a TBI within the last two years and attributed fatigue symptoms to their TBI. Semi-structured interview transcripts were analysed using a general inductive approach.
The findings indicated that participants learned through trial and error to recognise ‘change points’ – subjective fatigue symptoms used to guide active adoption of fatigue management strategies – to remain productive at work. At each change point participants selected the most effective strategy from a continuum of options to minimise impact on productivity. Strategies included reducing task intensity, a variety of work breaks, and adjusting life outside work. This continuum of strategies, learned through these participants’ experiences, may provide useful guidance to other people returning to and maintaining paid work while managing post-TBI fatigue symptoms.