Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Scientific Institute for Quality of Healthcare, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Institute of Health Studies, HAN University of Applied Sciences, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Disabil Rehabil. 2021 Apr;43(8):1137-1144. doi: 10.1080/09638288.2019.1652855. Epub 2019 Aug 20.
To understand how the social network of patients with acquired brain injury facilitates or hinders resumption of their activities, such as social and leisure activities, and how this affects patients' well-being and quality of life.
Thematic analysis was applied to 70 narratives about family members, friends, neighbors and colleagues helping or hindering patients in resuming their activities. The narratives were derived from social workers with extensive experience with brain-injured patients and their social networks.
The narratives show that an available, understanding and well-informed network enhances activity resumption by being inclusive and encouraging patients to develop their skills. This is in line with earlier studies based on patients' experiences. Whereas the patient-based studies emphasize that being unsupportive or overprotective hinders patients from resuming their activities, this study also shows that preventing patients from meeting others or placing too-high demands results in activity loss, social isolation and reduced well-being and quality of life.
Several social network factors play a role in activity resumption, well-being, and quality of life of after brain injury. Early after the brain injury, rehabilitation professionals should work with patients' family members, friends, and others and educate them about how to provide adequate support.IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONSince the patient's social network is an important determinant of activity resumption, rehabilitation professionals should analyze its features soon after brain injury, such as whether patients have an understanding network that encourages them and includes them in their activities.Since especially close network members tend to be protective of or place high demands on the patient, rehabilitation professionals should explain to them the importance of activity resumption for the patient's wellbeing and the adverse effects of being overprotective or over-demanding.Rehabilitation professionals should include other network members, such as friends or colleagues, in the rehabilitation process and educate them about how to support patients in resuming their activities.
了解脑损伤患者的社会网络如何促进或阻碍他们恢复社交和休闲等活动，并了解这如何影响患者的幸福感和生活质量。
对 70 个关于家庭成员、朋友、邻居和同事帮助或阻碍患者恢复活动的叙述进行了主题分析。这些叙述来自于具有丰富脑损伤患者及其社会网络经验的社会工作者。
这些叙述表明，一个可用的、理解的和消息灵通的网络通过包容和鼓励患者发展技能来促进活动的恢复。这与基于患者经验的早期研究一致。虽然基于患者的研究强调不支持或过度保护会阻碍患者恢复活动，但这项研究还表明，阻止患者与他人接触或提出过高要求会导致活动丧失、社交孤立以及幸福感和生活质量下降。
几个社会网络因素在脑损伤后的活动恢复、幸福感和生活质量中起作用。脑损伤后早期，康复专业人员应与患者的家庭成员、朋友和其他人合作，并对他们进行如何提供适当支持的教育。
由于患者的社会网络是活动恢复的一个重要决定因素，康复专业人员应在脑损伤后尽快分析其特征，例如患者是否有一个理解的网络，鼓励他们并让他们参与自己的活动。由于特别亲密的网络成员往往对患者保护过度或要求过高，康复专业人员应向他们解释活动恢复对患者幸福感的重要性，以及过度保护或过度要求的不利影响。康复专业人员应将其他网络成员（如朋友或同事）纳入康复过程，并教育他们如何支持患者恢复活动。
