Theoretical Perspectives and Practical Applications

You are to select a type of acquired brain injury that is to be your focus for the task. The brain injury can have been acquired through brain trauma, a cerebrovascular accident (a stroke), anoxia (as a consequence of a cardiac or a respiratory arrest), or through the development of a neurodegenerative disease that affects the central nervous system (e.g. multiple sclerosis; motor neurone disease; Parkinson's disease). You are to discuss the type of acquired brain injury that you have selected, in the context of a theory/model of psychosocial adaptation and/or adjustment to a chronic health condition; OR discuss the type of acquired brain injury that you have selected, in the context of a theory/model of the impacts of social support on health. You are then to consider how the insights provided by your discussion can be applied to rehabilitation and service delivery in community settings.

The Task

- Provide an introduction to the topic by way of: identifying, and briefly describing the characteristics, of the type of acquired brain injury that you have selected to be the focus; and identifying and briefly outlining the theory/model that you have chosen for the contextualisation/discussion of this type of acquired brain injury.

- Drawing on references that report empirical studies of the lived experience of the type of acquired brain injury that you have selected to be focussed upon, and also on references that provide accounts of your chosen theory/model, discuss the ways in which, and the extent to which, the theory/model describes, explains, and predicts, psychosocial adaptation and/or adjustment, to acquired brain injury; OR discuss the ways in which, and the extent to which, the theory/model describes, explains, and predicts, the health impacts of social support for those with an acquired brain injury.

- Drawing on relevant literature (where applicable), describe and explain how the key aspects of your discussion for point 2 (above) could be applied to rehabilitation and to the delivery of community-based services, for those with an acquired brain injury.

- Provide a conclusion that draws upon and draws together the key insights with relation to points 2 and 3 (above).