Back to country: Understanding the traumatic brain injury recovery journey for Aboriginal peoples in South Australia

BACKGROUND: In Australia, the traumatic brain injury (TBI) inequity gradient disproportionately impacts Aboriginal communities, contributing to significant health and social impacts. OBJECTIVES: This study sought to understand the TBI journey for Aboriginal patient and family TBI journey to identify quality indicators and determinants that shape health, healing, and wellbeing. It is part of the larger Australian Traumatic Brain Injury National Data project. METHODS: The Australian Traumatic Brain Injury National Data project was overseen by an Indigenous Data Governance Committee. Participants were recruited through existing networks. Data collection drew on Indigenous research methods of yarning and Yuri Ingarninthii. Deidentified transcripts were analysed thematically using qualitative analysis software NVivo (v12). RESULTS: Four yarning sessions were conducted with participants (>18 years old), with a mix of patients and family. Three interconnecting thematic domains were identified: (i) Injury event and in hospital care (support initiatives and care challenges) and (ii) Postdischarge care and ongoing support (allied health, abandonment, mental health, peer support, carer support, and financial hardship); along with (iii) TBI determinants for Aboriginal patients (family or community support, inner strength and resilience, cultural practice, cultural safety, transgenerational impacts, memory loss, and mental health). CONCLUSIONS: Understanding TBI quality indicators and determinants for Aboriginal communities is essential for development of culturally grounded, safe, strength-based prevention, models of care, and support initiatives. These findings deepen existing knowledge, through centring Aboriginal voice, relationality, and lived experience, offering nuanced insights into TBI determinants not previously reported but are critical to promoting health and wellbeing outcomes and enabling Aboriginal TBI patients and their families to recover, heal, and thrive.