City Research Online

Abstract

Purpose: To determine whether treatment was acceptable to participants and perceived as beneficial by exploring the experiences of people with cognitive communication difficulties following acquired brain injury who participated in a novel, group, communication, project-based treatment. The purpose of the treatment was to improve participants’ communication skills and quality of life, by focusing group activity towards the production of a project and by incorporating individualised communication goals into group sessions.

Methods: Twenty-one people with acquired brain injury recruited from community settings participated in project-based treatment, which comprised one individual and nine group sessions (of 2-3 people) over six weeks. Structured interviews were conducted post-treatment as part of a broader assessment battery. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using content analysis to identify codes, categories and themes.

Results: Themes identified from the analysis centred around the treatment experience (general experience; group experience; project experience; working on goals) and benefit of treatment (communicative benefit; other benefits; emotional effects; meeting others; something to do). These themes were consistent with the treatment being perceived as acceptable and having initial efficacy for the participant group.

Conclusion: The qualitative data presented here provide positive feasibility findings (acceptability and initial efficacy) of project-based treatment for people with acquired brain injury. The results
highlight the value of incorporating participants’ views in assessing feasibility in developing novel interventions.

Publication Type:	Article
Additional Information:	This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Disability and Rehabilitation on 26 May 2019, available online: https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2019.1618929
Publisher Keywords:	Cognitive-communication; feasibility; brain injury; qualitative research; group; acceptability
Subjects:	P Language and Literature > P Philology. Linguistics R Medicine > RC Internal medicine > RC0321 Neuroscience. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry
Departments:	School of Health & Psychological Sciences > Language & Communication Science
SWORD Depositor:	Symplectic Administrator

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