Document Type

Peer-Reviewed Article

Publication Date

2024

Abstract

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) significantly affects social interactions and emotional well-being. Following COVID-19, there has been growing interest in how individuals with TBI use online social media groups for support. This study examined engagement patterns in four Facebook support groups: two for TBI and two control groups. A deductive approach was used to categorize 4,133 posts and comments into a framework of support discourse, including seeking and giving support, and non-social support. Each category was further subdivided to analyze post content in more detail. Comments on posts were coded for helpfulness/appropriateness. Results revealed that posts in all groups fell into the identified discourse categories, with comments generally being appropriate. Minor differences were noted between TBI and control groups, suggesting that individuals with TBI engage in online support similarly to others. These findings highlight the role of online support groups for individuals with TBI, offering insights that can guide the development of more tailored interventions and improve support services for this population.

Comments

At the time of publication, Helena Sabo was a Graduate Student at Sacred Heart University in the Speech-Language Pathology program.

Online ahead of print, Dec 24, 2024

DOI

10.1080/09602011.2024.2442583

PMID

39718511

Publication

Neuropsychological Rehabilitation

Pages

1-23

Download
Link to Publisher Version


Share

COinS
 
 

To view the content in your browser, please download Adobe Reader or, alternately,
you may Download the file to your hard drive.

NOTE: The latest versions of Adobe Reader do not support viewing PDF files within Firefox on Mac OS and if you are using a modern (Intel) Mac, there is no official plugin for viewing PDF files within the browser window.