Crisis and its assessment after brain injury

Primary objective : To develop a measure to assess crisis after acquired brain injury (ABI).

Research design : A triangulated research strategy, using both qualitative and quantitative methods, was employed to develop the crisis measure.

Methods and procedures : The measure was developed in two phases. In the first phase, by using focus group methodology, the experience of crisis following brain injury was described. The second phase involved developing the questionnaire items, pilot testing the measure and conducting initial reliability testing.

Main outcomes and results : The six themes derived from the content analysis led to the creation of the measure, with versions for individuals who have an ABI, family members and professionals. Test-re-test reliability results ( n = 40) were adequate.

Conclusions : The results suggest that crisis is experienced as precarious homeostasis with individuals with brain injury, varying in intensity over time, subjectively viewed as never really absent.