Reintegration into the Community after Head Injury: The Results of an Ethnographic Study

As a result of medical advancements that prolong life and the cultural patterns of Western society, head injury is increasingly a problem for the injured, their families, and medical and social service professionals. This paper reports the findings of an ethnographic study of 21 moderately head-injured persons living in the community and of their social networks. Three fieldwork strategies were used to collect the data: semistructured interviews, participant observation, and documentary review. The data were subjected to thematic and content analysis. A portion of the findings is described in terms of recasting strategies, which are linked to a theoretical concept of loss of self-identity and personhood. The relation of the findings to other research on head injury as well as their relevance to practice and research in occupational therapy are also discussed.