Holistic group rehabilitation--a short cut to adaptation to the new life after mild acquired brain injury

Purpose. The purpose was to explore and understand what patients with mild acquired brain injury (mABI) consider is effective in a holistic therapy group rehabilitation programme and how the programme affects the rehabilitation process. Methods. Thematic interviews were conducted with ten informants with diagnosed mABI. They were recruited through purposive sampling after completing a group rehabilitation programme. The data were analysed using a constant comparative method. Results. The programme provided the informants with awareness of their difficulties in daily life. They were thus motivated to develop compensatory strategies for better function. The core category ‘process of change’ and four sub-categories were defined: ‘the group process’, ‘the individual’, ‘family’ and ‘work’. These describe how the programme supported illness management strategies, e.g. setting and maintaining boundaries, coping with and accepting the hard facts of disability. Body awareness training was important. Work capacity was regarded as a measure of recovery. Social relations concentrated on meaningful exchanges. Conclusion. When meeting patients with mABI it is important to consider that, despite apparently well functioning; they might suffer from disabling symptoms that affect performance of daily life. A holistic group rehabilitation programme with integrated information properly provides a short cut to facilitating awareness and adjustment.