Hyatt Kyong S, Davis Linda L, Barroso Julie
Major, Nurse Corps, USA, Nurse Scientist, Center for Nursing Science & Clinical Inquiry, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Associate Professor, School of Nursing, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
J Nurs Scholarsh. 2015 Jul;47(4):300-9. doi: 10.1111/jnu.12143. Epub 2015 May 14.
More than 300,000 soldiers have returned from Southwest Asia (i.e., Iraq and Afghanistan) with combat-related mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBIs). Despite less visible physical injuries, these soldiers demonstrate various physical and cognitive symptoms that impact their ability to reintegrate post-mTBI. This study explores family reintegration experiences, as described by married dyads, following a combat-related mTBI.
Nine soldiers with mTBI and their spouses participated, and a total of 27 interviews, both joint and individual, were conducted. Strauss and Corbin's grounded theory methodology and semistructured interviews were used to collect participants' perceptions and analyze the data.
The overarching theme of the reintegration experience is described as finding the "new normal." A new normal was defined by participants as the couple's new, post-mTBI expectation of the family unit or family routine. Some participants indicated that they had accepted the post-mTBI changes and were working toward this new normal, whereas others indicated these changes were unacceptable and continued their efforts to return to pre-injury functioning.
Individuals with mTBI and their families may benefit from interventions that directly address mismatched expectations and promote the acceptance of a new normal.
