A qualitative exploration of fatherhood after acquired brain injury (ABI)

Cregan, Karen, Daisley, Audrey, Ford, Catherine ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8646-9402 and Gracey, Fergus ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1416-7894 (2022) A qualitative exploration of fatherhood after acquired brain injury (ABI). Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, 32 (9). pp. 2269-2293. ISSN 0960-2011

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Abstract

Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) significantly affects individuals across multiple areas of intimate, familial, and parental domains. Gender and identity are pivotal research areas in navigating life after ABI. To date, scant research has explored gendered experiences, particularly those related to the masculine lifeworld. This study aimed to explore how men who were fathers before their injuries experience fatherhood after ABI. An Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) methodology was used, and seven fathers participated in the semi-structured interviews (time since injury 1-18 years, age range 27-66 years) which explored their meaning-making. Four superordinate themes were drawn from all interviews through engaging with the qualitative research process: (1) what being a father means, (2) altered relationships with others, (3) becoming lost and finding their way through, and (4) renewed fatherhood. The findings show intersectionality between pre-and post-injury comparisons of self and social identities, alongside the contextual and societal identities in the subjective fathering experiences. Through increased understanding, we may enable fathers to find new ways to resolve, reformulate, and connect to move into their future possible fatherhood. The importance of this research is in giving voice to these less represented men so that we may shape our understanding to aid future fathers post-ABI.

Item Type: Article
Additional Information: Funding: This research was supported by the University of East Anglia as part of the fulfilment of the Doctoral Programme in Clinical Psychology.
Uncontrolled Keywords: acquired brain injury,lived experience,adjustment,fathers' identity reconstruction,interpretative phenomenological analysis,neuropsychology and physiological psychology,rehabilitation,arts and humanities (miscellaneous),applied psychology ,/dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/3200/3206
Faculty \ School: Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Norwich Medical School
UEA Research Groups: Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Centres > Lifespan Health
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Depositing User: LivePure Connector
Date Deposited: 02 Jul 2021 01:00
Last Modified: 19 Oct 2023 02:45
URI: https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/80375
DOI: 10.1080/09602011.2021.1938142

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