Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Participation for Persons with Brain Injury: A Qualitative Analysis

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES: To understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on participation for persons with traumatic brain injury (pwTBI). DESIGN: Inductive qualitative analysis was performed to identify themes from semi-structured interviews or focus groups of pwTBI or their family members. SETTING: Community. PARTICIPANTS: Study included 32 structured interviews and 4 focus groups with 41 participants (n=34 pwTBI and n=7 family members). Participants with TBI were eligible if they were >=18 at the time of initial TBI, presented with mild BI, able to speak and understand English, able to access the video conferencing platform, and were community-dwelling. Family members were eligible if they were >=18, related to an individual who was >=18 at the time of initial TBI, currently living in a community setting, speak and understand English, and able to access the video conferencing platform. INTERVENTIONS: N/A. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Experience of participation during the COVID-19 pandemic. RESULTS: Several themes emerged relating to participation during the COVID-19 pandemic for pwTBI including: 1) transitioning remote, 2) normalization of ‘stay at home’ lifestyle, 3) mental health implications, and 4) impact of pandemic mandates on participation. Within these themes, many respondents identified challenges such as isolation, depression, and fear of infection; however, respondents also identified positive experiences such as feeling that participation challenges were no longer restricted to those with TBI or other disabilities, new opportunities for socializing, and more remote job opportunities that eliminate the need for transportation and ability to perform in a distracting environment. CONCLUSIONS: The experiences of participation for pwTBI during the COVID-19 pandemic had many similarities to the experiences of the general population; however, these findings suggest that pwTBI also have distinct positive experiences. There may be an element of resiliency in social engagement that individuals develop post TBI that warrants further investigation as society continues to transition to pre-pandemic patterns. AUTHOR(S) DISCLOSURES: None.