My TBI Journey is a communication and emotional management aid (diary app) for adults who have sustained a traumatic brain injury in the UK(TBI). It compromises emotion recording, tips to deal with emotion with a mindfulness implement to control the bursts of anger, moreover, it includes a direct communication tool with close relatives and friends.
Background
The effect of a mild Traumatic Brain Injury on an individual
More than 80% of all traumatic brain injuries are classified as mild, making MTBI one of the most common neurological disorders in the world (Baratz et al., 2010;
Scheenen et al., 2017). The effect of a MTBI can be physical, cognitive, behavioural, and emotional (Upadhyay, 2008). It is recognized that the behavioural and
psychological effects of MTBI can be persistent and devastating (e.g., Andrasik and Wincze, 1994; Lezak, 1987; Rosenthal and Bond, 1990). Nowadays, it is
demonstrated that some MTBI victims suffer substantial functional disability despite showing none or limited physical and neuropsychological symptoms (Fann et al.,
1993). Moreover, patients “may present years after injury pronounced emotional distress and a lesser capacity for self-motivated work, but with minimal, if any,
“objective” organic bases for their problems”. Additionally, the individual experiences emotions like irritability, depression, frustration, and anxiety often result in deterioration
of relationships with friends, family and work colleagues (Mateer, 1992; Raskin, et al, 2000).
The effect of a MTBI on an individual’s family or friends.
The symptoms the sufferer experiences increase the emotional tension with family and friends (Wongvatunyu, et al, 2008, Thompson 2009 cited in Coco et al,
2013). Grief is commonly perceived by family members as they feel like they have lost a loved one, even if that individual is not dead (Verhaeghe et al. 2005).
In a recent study conducted with Finnish nurses, 53% stated that they frequently supported family members in their grief, and 47% specified that they often conversed
about the family’s emotional state (Coco, et al, 2013). Finally, Kreutzer et al., from the National Resource Center for Traumatic Brain Injury, stated that recovery is
often lengthy for both the patient and family members, taking up to five or ten years or even longer (2009).
