Exploring the lived experience and support needs of mothers with Acquired Brain Injury

PURPOSE: This study sought to explore the lived experience and support needs of mothers who acquire a brain injury (ABI). Despite the increasing number of women sustaining ABIs, some of whom may be mothers of dependent children, there continues to be an over-representation in research of men with ABI. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This paper focuses on Cycle One of a three-cycle Feminist Participatory Action Research (FPAR) study. Narrative interviews with ten mothers with ABI were conducted and analysed. RESULTS: Four themes were identified from analysis: (1) "The only person in the world": the hidden nature of brain injury leads to feelings of loneliness and isolation; (2) "I'm not in the next chapter, I'm in a whole different book": loss of self and altered identities following brain injury; (3) "Sometimes you just have to fall short": conflicting emotions of motherhood; and (4) "You just have to get on with it": determination and perseverance. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the challenges facing mothers with ABI and acknowledges their diverse and multifaceted experiences. It sheds light on the conflict they experience between the need to focus on self-care and recovery while also trying to meet the demands and expectations of motherhood.