Exploring the experiences of adolescents who have a brother or sister with an acquired brain injury

Dr. Angela Gent recently completed her PhD thesis, under the supervision of Professor Susan Sawyer and Professor Vicki Anderson, exploring the experiences of adolescents living with a brother or sister with an acquired brain injury (ABI). Paediatric ABI is a
major cause of disability in Australia that can have long-lasting consequences for injured children and the families who care for them, yet, little is known about any specific impacts on non-injured siblings.

Interviews with 30 adolescent-aged siblings revealed that the ABI led to significant
disruption to siblings’ lives across a number of areas (e.g. school performance, friends, family relationships), in addition to the trauma of the injury event causing disruptions to their sense of meaning and security in the world. Despite playing a significant role in the daily care of their injured brother or sister, siblings described having a lack of information and feeling left out and unheard by parents and health professionals. Siblings showed, however, that despite these challenges they were able to mobilise their own internal resources to make positive meanings and find personal benefits from
their experiences. Of particular interest was that taking part in this talking-based research study addressed some of the unmet needs expressed by siblings, giving them a voice and providing a confidential space to talk, sometimes for the first time since the injury.

The study’s findings suggest efforts to provide siblings with ongoing injury-related information and a safe and confidential space to talk and gain some meaning from their experiences could contribute to their own efforts to adjust to the challenges of ABI in a brother or sister.