Life goals after brain injury in the light of the dual process approach: empirical evidence and implications for neuropsychological rehabilitation.
Sequelae of acquired brain injury endanger the realisation of important life-goals. Discrepancies arise between the importance attached to a goal and the success in realising it. This study investigates goal discrepancies and their influence on patients' subjective well-being (SWB) in different rehabilitation stages. Life-goals, SWB and daily functioning were assessed in 130 neurological inpatients and 42 outpatients by self-report questionnaires. Both patient groups reported greater discrepancies between importance and success of life-goals than a normative sample of healthy controls. In multiple regression modelling, goal discrepancy predicted SWB in the inpatient sample even when control…
Living with acquired brain injury: Self-concept as mediating variable in the adjustment process
Sequelae of acquired brain injury (ABI) require adjustment processes in which survivors must strive to regain subjective well-being (SWB) in the face of chronic impairment. The current study investigates whether the self-concept of achievement mediates this process. Thirty-five post-acute patients with ABI were assessed neuropsychologically for performance in memory, attention, concept formation and reasoning. Data concerning subjective complaints in applied cognition, self-concept, and SWB were collected. Patients rated their self-concept more negatively compared to a normative sample. Effects of subjective complaints in applied cognition on SWB were mediated by the self-concept of achieve…