The diverse vocational experiences of five individuals returning to work after severe brain injury: A qualitative inquiry

• Published in: Brain injury Vol. 30; no. 4; p. 422
• Main Authors: Bush, Erin J, Hux, Karen, Guetterman, Timothy C, McKelvey, Miechelle
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 20.03.2016
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Brain Injuries - psychology; Brain Injuries - rehabilitation; Employment; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Qualitative Research; Rehabilitation, Vocational; Return to Work - psychology; Treatment Outcome; multiple case study; Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
• ISSN: 1362-301X
• DOI: 10.3109/02699052.2015.1131849

The researchers explored the return-to-work experiences of five adults with severe traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) and those associated with them by performing a qualitative, multiple case study investigation involving in-depth, semi-structured interviews. Selection of this qualitative methodology allowed for personal, individualized accounts of adults with TBI returning to work. Specifically, this methodology promoted accurate representation of the idiosyncratic nature of each participant's experiences. The researchers asked individuals to participate based on the diversity of their vocational experiences following TBI. Four of the five participants had returned to their pre-injury jobs. Two were subsequently fired and, at the time of research participation, were unemployed. One participant never returned to paid employment; however, he had held two volunteer positions for several years post-injury. Salient content from interview transcripts allowed for the identification of five to eight themes pertinent to each case. Interpretation of the themes led to three main conjectures about return-to-work experiences following TBI: (a) job satisfaction may relate more to involvement in productive activities than monetary compensation; (b) adults with TBI can be successful in holding and maintaining positions with high cognitive demands; and