Impact of intervention strategies on motor vehicle accident - induced head injury survivors in Kwazulu-Natal Province, South Africa
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Date
2024
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Publisher
University of Zululand
Abstract
The study explored the role of psychological interventions in the delivery of healthcare for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). This was a case study of selected road accident-induced TBI survivors drawn from my practice as a clinical psychologist. In this connection, I was conscious of my dual role as a researcher and practitioner. I accordingly employed a practice-based enquiry perspective for the purposes of pursuing canons of research quality as well as ethically grounding the study. Data was collected using in-depth phenomenological interviews with selected participants from road accident-induced TBI survivors. There were three main findings. The first was that psychological interventions are one part of a conglomeration of necessary treatments in the delivery of healthcare for TBI survivors. This suggests that the multi-dimensional nature of the disease requires a multidisciplinary approach. The second finding is that healthcare pathways towards recovery - beyond consultations with experts following brain injury - were blurred. Without a clear healthcare roadmap, it is difficult to imagine what chances TBI patients have for recovery. The third finding is that the TBI survivors were not attended to on a timely basis - raising concerns about the likelihood of deterioration and complications of their condition. The study concludes that, while psychological interventions are a necessary and important part of healthcare delivery, they alone are not sufficient to set a TBI patient onto a recovery trajectory. Thus, the main recommendation is that further research on the management of TBI in South Africa be carried out - to develop more appropriate and effective intervention strategies. A proposed framework to contribute to this effort is provided in this study.
Description
Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy on Community Psycchology in the Department of Psychology at the University of Zululand, South Africa [2024].