An autoethnographic account of married life after traumatic brain injury : a couple's co-construction of their journey

Abstract

This autoethnography explores the phenomenon of marriage after traumatic brain injury (TBI). Capturing as its data, through a series of audio-recorded conversations and journal entries, the first-hand, co-constructed experiences of a married couple, it provides an ‘insider’ and as such, intimate perspective on life together following such an unexpected, disruptive and life-altering event. Situated within ‘a systemic constructionist’ epistemology, it spotlights, in particular, the relational aspects of the post-TBI marriage unfolding over time, rather than just the individual perspectives of each spouse at a single point in time - as most existing studies on the topic do. As a qualitative study, it made allowance for the collection and use of rich, nuanced data so as to do some justice to the complex nature of the topic being studied. David Reiss’ explanatory theory on ‘crisis and the development of the family paradigm’ was applied deductively during the carrying out of a thematic analysis of the data, with the intention of bringing new insights to the understanding of the phenomenon of the post-TBI marriage. Data were also analysed inductively, in that themes emerging from the data itself were also used. A discussion based on the findings of the data analysis was proffered. Based on these findings, recommendations on what issues therapists working from within a family-systems orientation might focus their attention on were made. A recommendation for TBI couples to receive support from early intervention and follow-up services was also made, along with identifying the consequent need for research first to be done on developing and implementing such a service