Shattered lives: the lived experience of women with acquired brain injury: a descriptive phenomenological study

A descriptive phenomenological study exploring the lived experiences of women with acquired brain injury. The aim of this study is to better understand women’s experiences who had sustained either a cerebral vascular accident or traumatic brain injury. Women with acquired brain injury were contacted through the Brain Injury Association of New South Wales and those who met the study criteria were invited to participate. Data was collected from 14 women aged 22 years to 65 years through interviews using open-ended questions that allowed participants to provide detailed descriptions of their lived experience. Data analysis was done using Giorgi’s (1985; 2009) four step descriptive phenomenological method modified from Husserl’s phenomenological approach. Six themes were extracted from the data: Coping strategies for living, Relationship to self and others, Identity lost and found, Dependence versus independence, Mental health and wellbeing, and Being in the world. The contextualised themes provided an understanding of the phenomenon of women living with a traumatic or non-traumatic brain injury. The findings of this research study may provide rehabilitation health professionals with a better understanding of the support needed for women with brain injury.